The Realization of Hector Hedgehog
by Cookirini
Summary: Hector is a loser his dismal life is controlled by those around him. His only escape is his comic with the fantasy hero Hector wishes he was. Or is Sonic really just from Hector's dreams? Inspired by the Walter Mitty stories. Complete.
1. Default Chapter

**The Realization of Hector Hedgehog**

**A Story of the Secret Life**

**Chapter 1**

**The Miserable Wretch**

_            The night fell upon the city of Roboville like a curse of the devil. The Dark King's castle loomed over the shadows that engulfed the city. As shouts began to echo in the alleys, a young girl appeared, running, sweat and blood pouring down her leg. She was fast, but no match for the robots who followed her._

_            "Help!!" She screamed as loud as she could. "Help me, someone please!!!"_

_            She kept screaming, but no one heard her pleas. Finally, she found herself at a dead end. Gasping, she turned to see her metallic captors closing in._

_            "No...no!!!!" _

_            No matter what, she couldn't let them get the information. The computer chip she stole from their master was essential to defeating him, but now...._

_            WHAM!!!!!! Without warning, the robots were suddenly attacked by a flash of lightning. A blurry shape slammed into the enemy, destroying them in an instant. As flames engulfed them, the girl gasped as the blur stopped. It turned to her and held out a hand._

_            "It's ok, you're safe now. Here, I'll get you out of here, Princess."_

_            The girl gaped at him for a moment, then suddenly gave him a much-needed hug for his accomplishments._

_            "Oh, Sonic..."_

-----

            "Um...excuse me, sir...it's your stop." 

            The conductor frowned as he loomed over the fourth seat in aisle 13 in car 2. He simply sat there, with his suitcase propped up on his lap, his head cocked to the side, his bespeckled eyes cast up dreamily. And he was smiling like an idiot.

            "Sir!!" This was the routine he always had to go through. The conductor slapped his shoulder. "It's your stop!!"

            "Huh...?!?" The schmuck jerked out of lalaland and looked at the conductor, bewildered. "What's wrong?"

            "It's your stop." Same question, same answer.

            "Oh..." The schmuck gave the same oops laugh the conductor had expected from him. "Sorry. I should get off."

            "Right."

            As the schmuck dashed out of the subway, the conductor shook his head in disbelief.

            "That kid's got to get his head out of the clouds!!"

--------

            "Hedgehog!!!" The old, fat mushached man,who was sitting in his worker's office, boomed when the kid burst in breathless. "Late again!!! What happened this time!"

            "Well, sir..." The hedgehog, gasping for air, had a nerdish middle-toned voice when he spoke. His glasses gleamed as he looked up at his boss. "I was-"

            "Wait, don't tell me. You had a problem in the subay. That's the excuse I always hear!!!" The fat man muttered angrily. "I swear, I don't know why the hell I just don't fire you and rid this place of some misery. You had a meeting today, you remember? Aaaargh!!"

            "B-b-b-but Mr. Kintobar, that's not until 10:30," the hedgehog protested.

            "We at Trade Paperback have pride in our workers being early!!! You should be here earlier," the fat manscreamed, "especially when it comes to deadlines!!!!"

            "But..." The hedgehog took out a stack of papers from his suitcase. "I have the whole story done, sir."

            He handed the papers over to the fat man. After looking them over for a few minutes, Mr. Kintobar threw his head back and laughed.

            "Hahahahahaha!!!" He laughed. "Perfect. Perfect! I knew you'd take my suggestion to put your character into a murder mystery. I am a genius!!! And that's how I get the best work from my workers. Through suggestion!! I'll see you at 10:30!!"

            As he slammed the door on the hedgehog, the hedghog slumped into his chair in disgust. Behind him was a studio desk, and on it was a poster that was partially colored. It had a creature that looked just like him, only with no glasses and gloves and shoes.

            The hedgehog took his name tag and looked at it. It said "HECTOR HEDGEHOG".

            "I hate this..." Hector huffed. "He's always talking about his ideas, and his suggestions when they were all mine to begin with!!"

            "_We need a variety of stories in your comic!!!" Kintobar slammed his hand down. "I am tired of seeing action and romance!! I want to see something more!!!!"_

_            "Uh, sir..." Hector thought for a moment. "You know, something's stuck onto me for a while..."_

_            "WHAT?!?"_

_            "What if I did a murder mystery?" Hector meekly asked. "I mean, the viceroy gets killed and the hero has to figure it out?"_

_            "OF COURSE!!!" After a moment, Kintobar gave a laugh."That's brilliant!!!!!!!!! Glad I thought of it!"_

            "Besides, I like my new idea..." 

            Hector gave a smile when he thought of his hero (based on him, sort of) and his girl (based on the girl of his dreams, whom didn't exist) remeeting each other after the horrid murder of the viceroy. In fact, they kiss. He could almost feel her kissing him...

_            "Oh, Sonic..." the kiss was long and passionate. "I can't believe that I thought you were dead."_

_            "I can't believe it either..."_

_            "I've got the chip." _

_            "Good." Sonic looked up to the sky. "Then its the key to our victory..."_

_            The two started to walk home in silence. As they went, the princess looked at Sonic._

_            "Sonic...when this war is over, will you marry me?"_

_            "What?!?" Sonic turned red._

_            "Would you?"           _

_            Sonic walked on for a few seconds, silent. Then, he turned back to the princess and lifted her up off of her feet._

_            "You know what, Sally?"_

_            "Yiie!! What?"_

_            "I will marry you."_

_            Laughing, he put her down. Their eyes locked as their lips did..._

            "Hector..."

            "Mmmm..." Hector was kissing invisible air. "My beloved..."

            "YO!!!" 

            The skunk smashed Hector's face. Hector was jerked from the girl, and his face landed on the desk.

            "You should try kissing Mina, and not air." The skunk folded his arms. "You have a meeting, remember?"

            "Oh!!!!!"

            Realizing what was at stake, Hector bolted from his room and dashed down the hall. He wasn't as fast as his hero, but he wished he was at times like this. Besides, he had to getthere before...

            Too late. Even before he approached the door, Hector could hear the congratulations. He saw as Kintobar shook hands with the board.

            "Congratulations!!" On a silk screen was _Sonic the Hedgehog #28._ "Once again you show your incredible genius..."

            Angered by his foolishness, and at the fact that no one was giving credit where credit was due, Hector stormed over to the nearest bathroom and slammed the door.

---------

            Hector stepped out of the subway, still angry at himself. The clock said 5:50. If only he wasn't such a wimp...if only he was like Sonic...

            It wasn't his fault that he was imaginative. He had always had a great imagination. It was his fault, however, that Kintobar was always stealing the credit for his work, and ha didn't have the balls or the spine to stand up and do something. After all, it was the way he was. He was a loser. A loser with some great ideas.

            Hector walked all the way home from the station. He lived with his mother in a comfy two-story house, which had been paid for by his salary as a comic book writer, artist and creator. If he was over eighteen, he wouldn't have to live with her, but he was only sixteen. iAt least Sonic doesn't have to deal with a mother like I do. Or anyone like who's in this world. And if he did, he would-/i

            CLICK. A noise caused him to turn around towards a set of bushes, where the sound had come from.

            "Who's there?!"

            No reply. Hector quickly tiptoed over to the bushes to see if someone was there. Not only was there no one there, he was hit by a shoe that the owner of the bush threw at him.

            "Vagabond!!" the woman shouted. "Get out of my rose bushes!!"

            "Oh...sorry..."

            If Hector had turned to his right, he would have noticed binoculars staring right at him, but instead he dashed for his door, afraid of being pelted by another shoe. He slammed the door and took some gasps for breath. Thank god he got away from those sounds...

---------

_            "Sonic!!" The two jumped into an oak slide. "Was that..."_

_            "Yes." The two hit the bottom. "It was probably one of his spies."_

_            "What if he was taking a picture of us?"_

_            "I wouldn't matter." Sonic looked at the bush upon peeking out of the slide. "This isn't the real entrance anyways."_

_            The two walked over to a maple tree and entered through an invisible door. They walked down a set of stairs to a door, which Sonic knocked on._

_            "Rotor...Rotor...let us in!"_

_            "Sonic." Rotor looked out. "Get in here."_

_            The two entered the war room, where a fox, a cat and a bunny sat._

_            "Knuckles has already left to try to intercept Group B. That was three or four days ago." Rotor looked at the princess. "They're going overseas to try to attempt a covert mission. They might be onto us and the chip already, and they're probably meeting the their leader."_

_            "Then the chip is safe here?"_

_            "Hell no. Sally, Knuckles has asked that you get ready to go. You're also leaving Acorn Kingdom."_

_            "What?"_

_            "Rotor," Sonic looked at the walrus. "Let me go with her."_

_            "I'm sorry, bud, but due to recent events..." Rotor's voice trailed off._

_            Sonic's head went down. He understood what he meant._

_            "So there's a chance..."_

_            "Listen," Sally looked at Sonic. "I know how you feel about me. But...trust me. If...if I meet who I think..." she gave a smile. "Don't worry."_

_            "Uh huh." Sonic wasn't feeling any better. It was bad enough that...that..._

----------

            "Doof!!!"

            Concentration was lifted as Sonic felt hands around his waist.

            "Oh, darling!!!!!" Mina squealed as she smothered him. "You're soo late, and we got another present from Mikali and Aunt Grub. It's a lovely silverware set, and I plan on using it the first night we're married!!!"

            The two M words he thought he liked but for some deep resentful reason hated came to mind. The first was Mina. The second was marriage. Combined, it was hell on earth.

            "Hector!!" His mother, dressed with an odd hatas usual, clapped her hands together. "What in the devil's name is wrong with your face? You look as if you painted yourself with plaster of Paris."

            "Oh..." Hector thought fast. "Just Bax. I hate that old cat."

            "Shame on you!" Mina's head went down. "I enjoy all cats. I won't forgive you. Unless you say you're sorry."

            "I'm sorry."

            In about twenty minutes, he was sitting to a soufflet dinner with Mina, Mina's mother (_ugh), Geoffrey St. John (_double ugh - why couldn't Mina marry_ him?) and his mother._

            "Well I think that pink is such a lovely color for a May wedding." Mina dabbed her face off. "Mrs. Hedgehog, your cooking just gets better everytime you cook it."

            "Why thank you!" Hector's mother was just as chipper about the compliment. "I love how nice your hair is!"

            "It's wavy. Just for the wedding."

            "That's nice." 

            Hector tried to sound like he was as joyous as he looked down at his food. One, his mother couldn't cook (the soufflet was sticking to the sides and was slightly crunchy), and two, Mina looked like the bride of Frankenstein who recently jammed her finger into a plug socket.

            "You know," Geoffrey looked at Hector. "I think that pink would be the perfect color for Heck's tuxedo."

            "Of course!!" Mina's mother looked over at Hector's mother. "Why don't we just call that tuxedo place and change the color this instant."

            "Mom..."

            "Now, don't you fuss, Hector," Hector's mother scolded. "Now, where's that number??"

            As the two mothers chatted during their search for the number for the tuxedo place, Hector looked at Geoffrey, his eyes widened with shock.

            "How could you?!? You know my mom will do that, too!!"

            "Come now, Hector! Geoffrey's just trying to help us with our wedding plans." Mina jumped up and followed the two women. "Oh, mother!! Did you try looking..."

            "That's right, Hector." Geoffrey gave Hector a hard pat on the back as he put his dish in the sink. "I just want you to feel _absolutely_ gay on your wedding day."

----------

            Hector flopped down onto his soft bed. It had been a long day. First the meeting, then the tuxedo. And people stalking someone. He didn't even want to know.

            He looked up onto his wall. There, plastered to it, was a poster of his character. It was a work of genius. And it was his. No one knew, though, that Sonic the Hedgehog, the world's toughest, fastest and coolest superhero, was in fact the creation of Hector Hedgehog, the geeky, meek and overall worthless person, part of that one three-billionth of the population which only exists to be tortured and ridiculed by the other two-billionths. But, it was an achievement that he could be proud of, if the pride was all he had to show for it.

            The idea of making Sonic came by in a strange way. He had been in math class a few years back, when he was about eleven. While he should have been taking notes about the integral of e to the x, he had been doodling. He had doodled himself, because he had nothing better to think of. After all, he was an uninteresting person.

            Upon finishing, however, he looked upon something that he never thought could come from his pen (or his pencil). Instead of the bespeckled, nerdy, badly-dressed loser with the pudgy round face that the bullies liked to poke fun of, that he had always seen himself as, there instead was a godlike, slender (not that Hector wasn't slender, but he definitely couldn't compete when it came to cat-like bodies), white-teethed, green-eyed creature that looked like he could kill ladies just by thinking of them. On top of all of it, he had no glasses.

            The creation had been so spontaneous, Hector couldn't quite explain how he had even gotten the idea. It was as if the pencil had taken a life of its own. But however he got the idea, he secretly quit school and created a nine issue comic, just so he could learn more about his creation. Several copies had been made of each of the nine issues (he still had a copy of all of them hidden in his closet, as well as that first picture), and on of them landed in the hands of Trade Paperback's Julian Kintobar, who hired him on the spot. And took all the credit.

            _So Sally has to leave Acorn_, Hector thought, jerking his mind off of Kintobar before it got there. _I wonder how Sonic'll survive..._

            "Hector?" His mother's face came into the room. "You're going to sleep already?"

            "Yeah mom, I'm real tired."

            "Well, if you have any trouble, just remember that I'll get you a nice glass of warm milk. Make sure I'm awake, of course. Good night."

            His mother shut the door, and Hector went to sleep, dreaming only Sonic dreams.

-----------

            As the moon hung over the Hedgehog house, the X Racer quietly pulled in front of the house.

            "So this is it."

            "That's right." The driver looked into his rearview window at the passenger. "This is where he lives."

            "Interesting." The passenger looked down at a picture in its hands. It is of Hector in front of the rose bush. "This is going to be very interesting. 

            The car silently pulled away. Looking back on the house, the passenger thought of Hector, and the thought of him in bed at this time of night amused him.

            "Rest well, Hector Hedgehog." He looked back down at the picture, a sly smile on his face. "You'll definitely need it."


	2. 2

The Realization of Hector Hedgehog 

**A Story of the Secret Life**

**Chapter 2**

**The Favor**

                Morning came like it always did for Hector. Birds singing, cars driving, bees buzzing, mother fussing.

            "Oh, now I really think that you should wear this today!" She took out a grey three piece. "It's a nice Tuesday morning, and Gertrude told me that an engaged boy wearing grey on Tuesdays is sure to give him good luck."

            "Yes, mother." 

            He put on the suit and adjusted his tie, like always. _Ho hum_. He put on his beloved 'gangster' cap (as his mother always called it) and adjusted it as he looked in the mirror. He always thought he looked like a swell guy with that hat, cause it made him look a little more debonair, or like Rick when he looked over at his girl and said goodbye to her as she left Morocco on that foggy night. He liked that movie, when Rick was almost like Sonic. With a sigh, and knowing what was going to happen next, he went downstairs to the kitchen.

            "I am sooo ashamed of you!!" she gushed as she made him a jam sandwich for lunch. "After all, Geoffrey tells me you missed another one of those important meetings. You really should prioritize, Heck darling."

            "Yes, mother." He hated the name 'Heck'. Geoffrey had started to call him that a while ago, and it stuck, unfortunately.

            "And I think that you should stop wearing that hat of yours to work," she scolded, as she always did as she took it off of his head. "Why, it makes you look like one of those mafioso hoodlums or some shady degenerate, and that is certainly not how I raised you!"

            "Of course, mother."

            As he walked out of the house, he put it back on his head. It was the one thing he could do to rebel. He was a loser. But he would make it on time today, and show his boss. He adjusted his glasses and went to the subway station.

--------

            "Station 4, Station 4, closed down."

            "May I have a ticket, please?" Hector looked at the ticketeer. "It's very urgent. I have to get to work on time today."

            "Didn't you hear, boy?" The ticketeer looked at him. "This station is closed today. You'll have to route it in another way."

            "What?" Another day, another day to be late.

            "I'm sorry, sir."

            Hector walked out of the station, his hands in his pockets. His head went down as he looked back. _Hmmm..._

--------

            _"One ticket to Sagamoreskopf." Sonic quickly jumped down into the train station. "Please, it's very urgent."_

_            "Of course," the ticketeer looked alarmed. "Here."_

_            "Way past!" _

_            Sonic dashed by him and jumped onto the train. The three minute ride was agonizing, especially when he knew what was at stake if he didn't make it on time._

            _Come on, come on, come _on_! He thought. If I'm too late to stop the boat...if Sal has already left...I've got to warn her..._

_            He dashed to the boatyard after boarding the train, putting all of his speed into it. He had to hurry. Time was, for once, against him._

            There was nothing there when he got to the boatyard. The boat had left. Sonic gave a scream...

----------

            "...cuseme..."

            "Nnnrgh..." Hector's hands were clenched tightly.

            "Excuse me."

            Hector jerked out of Sagamoreskopf to find himself being tapped on the shoulder by a discerning hand.

            "Sorry to interrupt you," a very deep, Italianesque voice rang. "But could you come with me?"

            "Huh?" Hector turned around, confused.

            "Just would like you to follow me, please." The man Hector faced was a trench-coated iguana, who wore a hat similar to Hector's. "Come on, now."

            "What..." Hector looked at his clothing, then up at him. A mafioso. "Uh, I think you have the wrong-"

            "Are you Hector Hedgehog?"

            "Eh?"

            "I'll take it as a yes."

            "Uh..." Hector started to sweat. He started digging up excuses. "Look, I've got to go to work, and...see, I'm engaged, and...my mother's dying...and..."

            "Uh huh." The mafioso was unimpressed. "Don't worry, kid. The less time we take on this, the better."

            "Leave me alone!!"

            Without warning, Hector bolted from the mafioso's grasp and started running back towards the subway. He started to scream.

            "Help!!! Mob!!! Help me!!!!!!!"

            Without so much as breaking a sweat, the iguana took a small pen out of his pocket and flicked it over to an old woman near the hedgehog, who gave a screech as the pen whapped her hand and caused her to fling her purse into the air. It landed in front of Hector, who tripped over it.

            "Duaah!!!!" Hector lost his balance and slammed his head into the stair railing of the entrance to the subway. The last thing he saw was grey, then slate, then black.

----------

            The figure in the Racer X crossed his legs as he looked over at the driver. Outside, the buildings passed by.

            "How much longer do we have?"

            "Not much longer," the driver replied. "We're just about nearing our destination."

            "Good." the figure looked over to the back seat. "Good."

            A moan came from the passenger who lay there. A compress was on Hector's forehead, which had a large bump on it.

            "He's waking?"

            "Yes." The figure nodded. "And about time too. Stop the car."

            The car stopped, and when it did, the figure got out of the front seat. He transferred himself to the back of the car, and situated himself onto the left side. He crossed his legs again, and watched as Hector regained consciousness.

            Giving another slight moan, Hector opened his eyes and saw him sitting there. He was obviously dressed in a three piece, similar to his, because he could see a vest and coat outlined in the shadowed, tinted windows of the highly expensive car. Whoever this guy was, whatever family he came from, he was filthy rich. And he could bust a fly like him off without blinking an eye. He already inflicted a lot of pain.

            "I see you're waking up," the figure suddenly said. "You had a nasty fall."

            "I'm gonna die" was all Hector could mutter.

            "Well, of course you're going to die," The figure gave a chuckle. "We all have to die some day. By the way, it is a lovely day outside."

            Suddenly filled with fear, Hector forgot his pain and quickly grabbed for the door handle. He pulled as hard as he could, but was unable to budge the door.

            "Cripes...!!"

            "The doors are child safety locked." The figure yawned. "It wouldn't do you much good."

            "Nnnnngh..." Hector was shaking with fear. "H-h-how are you going to do it?"

            "Do what?"

            "D-d-d-on't play with me!!" Hector's voice was shaking very badly. "I know w-w-why you're d-doing this."

            "Do you?"

            "Y-y-y-y-y-y-y-" By this time, Hector was too afraid to talk and all that could come out was a bunch of stuttering.

            "Then I suppose you could answer a question." The figure looked over at him. "Whatever happened to Sally? Did she make it to the boat?"

            "HUH?!?!?" Hector's mouth dropped. _He's going to kill me, and he asks me_ about my comic?!

            "I'll take it as a yes."

            "T-t-t-t-then..." That was why he had been called here. Kintobar. "_Kintobar_ sent you to kill me?"

            "Kill you?!"

            The driver and the figure started to laugh. Hector's eyes grew wide as he heard the laughing.

            "That was ihardly/i what I had in mind. I just wanted to meet you, that's all." The figure looked at Hector. "You are, after all, the writer of _Sonic the Hedgehog_, right?"

            "Uh....yeah." Hector was numb. How did he know, and why did his voice sound familiar? "Why? Do you read it?"

            "Naaaaah. My kid brother."

            "Oh." A blatant lie. He read it. "So you wanted to congratulate me? But...you knocked me in the head."

            "No I didn't." The driver turned around, revealing himself to be the iguana. "You tripped over the purse. You are quite clumsy."

            "B-but you threw something at that woman and made her trip me with the purse." He remembered turning around and seeing that.

            "Very observant too." the figure in the back commented. "Actually, I simply want you to do me a favor, not just for me but one that could be beneficial to you as well."

            "What?"

            "In here," Hector felt him slip something into his pocket, "is the name of the boat that a friend of mine will be coming off of at 4:30. You being a native of this city, maybe you know where this boat docks?"

            "Well, I don't-"

            "The person you are to meet," the figure continued, completely ignoring him, "has been told who to look for when being picked up from the dock, which is you. This person will be docking at 4:30, and will need to be transported by cab to the address that is on the card I just gave you."

            "B-but...I'm a comic book writer, and I don't do services for the mob!"

            "My good friend," The figure gave him a dead-on look. "If I were the mob, you would be dead for saying that. But, either way, I don't take no, and it's not a request."

            Hector stared at the figure for a moment. He could swear that, somewhere, somehow, he had heard this person's voice before. But he wasn't sure where. His eyes strayed back down, defeated. No spine at all.

            "I see that we have an understanding." the driver nodded, and unlocked the child safety locks. "With that, have a nice day. You are free to leave."

            Hector opened the car and got out to the biggest surprise of his life. It was noon, and he was in front of his office building. This whole time, and he couldn't get out. His day, and his pride, were shot.

            "Aren't you going to open the envelope?" He heard the figure say.

            Hector reluctantly did so, and found himself looking at a note, stating that the person was docking at Grandel, and that he/she/it was to be brought to..._the Plaza Hotel!_

            "Saaay..." Hector turned around to confront the figure. Who am I-"

            Hector was in for another treat. The car had completely disappeared. After a moment of shock, Hector cursed himself, preparing for another round of abuse as he walked into the building.

----------

            In the car, the two watched as Hector went into the building. The figure sighed as he took off his hat.

            "I don't know," the iguana shook his head. "Do you think he'll do it?"

            "He'll do it." The figure nodded. "I know him too well. He'd do anything to help an old friend, even if he doesn't know it..."

----------

            At 4:25. Hector nervously watched as the large boat came in. It was obvious to him that it would take several minutes to dock, then five hours to find the person he was looking for...

            He gave a sigh as he stared at the ship, and onto the dock of people waiting for the passengers. It took about twenty minutes to look for the stairs to be lowered, and the people filled themselves onto them, walking painfully onto land.

---------

            _"What a strange place." _

_            Sally had never seen anything like it. It looked old. It smelled old. A throwback city, in a throwback country, complete with the steel-railed buildings and greasy, coiffed hairstyles._

_            "All ashore!!" The sailor next to her gave a smile. "You're sure you don't want to go out on a date?"_

_            "Yes."_

_            "You're a swell-looking girl." The sailor looked down. "At least, if you wore a nice skirt."_

_            Sally gave a sigh as she headed towards the stairs. Another gripe about her pants, this time from a guy that had been hitting on her. Nice bow, nice vest, nice hair, nice eyes, nice shirt - oooh, you're wearing pants. Never mind. _

_            Reactionary pig._

_            She got off the boat after a few minutes, resting a hand on her suitcase. Her eyes scanned the crowd._

_            He said to look. He said I'd know. How would I-_

_            Then she saw him._

_            No...no, that's not right._

_            Her eyes widened as she saw her own Sonic, standing there, looking downright confused._

_            He came to me? How? How is it possible? He's...standing there..._

_            Her brain ordered her feet to walk, and she did do without hesitation. She weaved her way through the crowd, passing every person, until she was standing face to face with him, and, not being sure what to expect, she opened her mouth..._

-----------

            "Hello?"

            The two voices smashed into one another in Hector's mind. It was almost as if Sally's voice had punctured into reality.

            "Excuse me? Sir??"

            His mind jerked out after the second salutation. He looked over to the origin of the sound. His mouth dropped open, and his eyes widened under his glasses.

            "Uhh...uuuuh..."

            "Are you..." Sally looked at him closely. "Are you the one who was told to pick me up...?"

            "Oh my god..." He couldn't believe it. _S-she looks like..._

            "I was told that I...I would know..." Unable to scream with joy, but just too numb to cry, Sally's eyes cast down. "I'm supposed to go to the Plaza Hotel."

            "Yeah...I mean...yes." Hector gave a nervous chuckle as he stared. "Yes, then I'm the one you're looking for..."

            "I guess you are." Sally knew it was going to be big. He had said so himself, she would know. But she didn't know..._God, how could he look like him? And yet..._

            The two looked at each other as they walked off of the pier, and down to the street. For twenty minutes, they looked at one another. As they went down the stairs to the cab parking lot, however, Hector tripped over his feet and fell down an entire flight of stairs.

            "Oh!!! So...sir!" Sally almost let herself slip, but she ran down to grab him. "A-are you all right?!"

            "Uuuugh...yeah..." Hector mumbled. "This isn't the first time this has happened today..."

            "I'll hail a cab."

            She tried to flag one down to no avail for five minutes. Finally, she was able to get one, but it had another passenger in it.

            "Oh." Sally gave a chuckle. "I...I guess this is taken."

            "Not really." The cab driver shook his head. It's Tuesday. We fill up with as many peoples as possible. Where to, pretty lady?"

            "Plaza Hotel." Sally took her bag. "Come on, err..."

            "Hector. Hector Hedgehog."

            "Right." It would take some getting use to. "Come on...Hector."

            The two climbed into the back with an old man in his sixties. Hector rubbed his head as he got scrunched in the middle, and Sally took the left side.

            "Two for two..."

            "Hello there, sir and ma'am." The old man cocked his head. "I hope you two enjoy your stay in this cab."

            So the cab went out of the dock, and drove into the city in silence. There wasn't much chatty talk, though Hector and Sally kept staring at each other, unable to take their eyes off.

            _This is so wierd,_ Hector thought. _She's like Princess Sally, the girl of_ _my dreams...the girl in my_ comic_...Oh God!!!..._

            _This guy..._ Sally stared intensely. _I could swear that without the glasses and the suit, he was Sonic...but he doesn't sound like him at all. It's incomprehendable. _Her thoughts suddenly became indignant. _What kind of_ balls _does he have, sending this guy to fetch me?!? He'd_ better _have a good explanation..._

            "So, you guys on your honeymoon?"

            "Huh?!?" The two looked at the old man, who gave them a smile.

            "You guys do look like a perfect couple."

            "Umm...I'm just an escort." Hector started to sweat. "Just an escort..." _For this freaky lady who looks like the girl in my comic..._

            "Right." The old man laughed. "I've seen your type before."

            On the left side of the car, a black auto drove up, the window open.

            "I'm going to Broadway, of course." The old man commented. "Nice place they have down there. Ever been there?"

            "No." Hector could say it as a fact. His mother hated watching live performances.

            "You and your friend should go. It's a lifetime experience," the man winked at Sally.

            A dark figure in the black van quietly screwed a needle onto a staple gun. Up ahead, the light turned red, and both cars slowed down.

            "Lifeti-" Sally's brain clicked. "Oh no!!!"

            "What's wrong?"

            "I forgot where I put my visa!" Sally checked all of her pockets. "Damn, where did I put it?"

            "Maybe it's in your purse," Hector suggested.

            "Maybe." Sally quickly went through her purse.

            The two cars came to a complete stop. The figure quietly put his hand up and aimed.

            "It's not here," Sally's voice became frantic. "Oh, God!! I can't leave the country without it!!"

            "Calm down, miss," The old man scratched his head. "I'm sure you have it somewhere."

            "Maybe it's in the bag under your feet," Hector suggested as he leaned over to pick it up.

            "Maybe it is." Sally also leaned down to get it.

            At that moment, the figure fired the staple gun, shattering the glass on the cab door.

            "Well, I say tha-Durrrrrgh!!!"

            The old man's eyes widened as the needle shot into his neck. He made several gurgling noises before slumping down on the seat.

            "What was that?" Hector looked up to see the old man convulsing. "What the..."

            "Aaaaaagh!!!!" Sally screamed as she saw the blood trickle down from his neck.

            "HEY!!!!" The cab driver turned around. "What in...Oh, my GOD!!!!"

            At that moment, Hector's eye caught the black truck. He saw a figure swearing as he took out a gun.

            "DUCK!!!!!!" 

            Without thinking, Hector threw both Sally and the old man down on the floor as bullets riddled the car. The cab driver ducked as well, but he was hit in the arm.

            "Mother of pearl!! Bastards!!!"

            The black car screeched as the light turned green, then drove away, weaving through the traffic as it disappeared.

            "Of all the..." The cab driver looked to the back. "Hey, is everyone all right in here?!?"

            "No!!" Sally gasped as she angrily forced back tears. "This poor old man..."

            "Sonofabitch!!" The cab driver looked over to Hector. "Kid, you know where Mercy is?!"

            "I would know if I could drive." Hector tumbled over the seat as the cab driver moved over to the passenger seat in the front. "Doh!!"

            "Listen, kid, I'll let this ride be free if you can get us to Mercy before the old man croaks!!"

            "Ok!!!!" 

            Hector shifted gears and jammed on the gas. The car jumped backwards for about five seconds before stopping and revving forward into the traffic.


	3. 3

The Realization of Hector Hedgehog 

A Story of the Secret Life

Chapter 3

A Meeting

            "So much for Tuesday evening at Mina's," Hector thought to himself as he dragged himself home. When he had left the hospital, it had been eight o'clock, and it had taken him almost two hours to walk home. _This was just a lovely day. I get hit by the mob and now they're going to kill me. Then there's Sally...___

_            "But are you sure your name is_ Sally Acorn_, ma'am?"___

_            "Yes." Sally had turned away from him in the hospital ward. "That is my real name. But here's my question - who are_ you?"

            _"I told you that already," Hector had protested. "My name is Hector Maurice Hedgehog."___

_            "How do I know you're not who I think you are?"___

_            "And who do you think I am?"___

_            "Why should I...oh, God," Sally had rubbed her eyes. "You even_ argue _like him!!!"___

__

_            I could swear she was from my comic!!_ Hector bit his nails. iI mean, she looks like her, she acts like her...she even sounds the way she does in my dreams!! But...how...could she exist outside of my dreams?!? It's...just not possible. And yet, there she was, demanding my real name. /I

            "Hector!!!"

            "Ugh…" Hector turned to see Mina. "Mina, I'm not hungry."

            "Now, Hector." His mother turned to look at him. "I heard that you didn't go to work today. Shame!"

            "He didn't," Geoffrey piped up. "He'll get fired if he starts missing whole days now."

            Hector looked at Geoffrey, annoyed.

            "What? I'm speaking the truth."

            "I know…" _Yet I suddenly don't care about my work…..how strange…._ "Hey, mom, you don't mind if I retire early?"

            "Retire early?"

            "I….don't feel good."

            With that, Hector walked upstairs, his thoughts reeling. _I feel so strange…Why do I feel this way?_

-------

            "Did you get her?"

            "No."

            "Damnit."

            "We'll just have to try again."  

            "Sir…..I think that _he_ was with her."

            "What?!"

            "Yes."

            They stood inside a large, dark house. The only light were a group of candles.

            "Very well, Jepshtat." The main figure turned away. "Find them. I want the prize at all costs."

-------

            Wednesday was even stranger for the poor loser.

            "Oh!! Hector!!!" Mina had dragged him to the mall, and now was coming outside from the lingerie store to show him scanty panties. "How would this look on me?

            "Oh, why…" _Yellow and green polka dots. Dear God, help me…._ "It looks beautiful."

            "Heehee!!" Mina giggled. "I'll go look for another one just like it, then!!!"

            Hector gave a sign of relief as she left. His mind began to wander to other things after this. _I'm hungry......naah, what am I thinking?.....Thinking.....I'm thinking about.....Sa-_

            "You!"

            Hector nearly jumped up three feet. The amount he did jump left him flat on his butt in front of Sally.

            "S-s-s-sally!" _Oh my God! She's here....she's really here...._ "Wh-wh-what are you doing here?"

            "Hiding." Sally looked at him with a slight air of discomfort anf disgust. "Who was that girl I saw you with?"

            "Oh, her?" _She's not related. She's a stalker. She's an evil person sealing your money._ "...My fiancee."

            "Really." Sally looked at the store. "She looks very chipper."

            "Uh, yeah......

            Hector just kept staring at Sally. _She is more beautiful in person than she was on paper. Wow, wow…….wait, what am I saying?!_

            "Yeah…..thanks for saving that guy."

            "Guy?"

            "The guy. The one we brought to the hospital."

            "Right!" Hector laughed and snorted. "Yeah, I remember that!"

            "Riiight....." Sally turned over towards the store. "I've got to go...."

            "Go?! W-waiAAIIIE!!!!"

            Hector suddenly tripped on his own two feet. He fell flat on his face, moaning. _Ow.....Ow......._

            "Bye!"

            Quickly, Sally left just as Mina came out of the store.

            "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!" In her bag were twenty pair of the same panties. "These will be just _perfect for the wedding night!! I want to..."_

            Hector nodded incoherently, but as he did his eye caught something on the ground. Curious, he picked it up. 

            "And I'll..."

            _Oh no! Sally face came out of the wallet he picked up. _Her wallet I have to-__

            "Hector!!" Mina suddenly grabbed him. "Let's get lunch!!!"

            As the loser was dragged down, he noticed that Sally was nowhere to be found. Quietly as he could, he put the wallet in his pocket and resolved to give it back to her in an hour, bck at the hotel.

-----

            "Hector! Eat your food, Hector." Hector's mother looked at him. "Are you all right?"

            "Yeah." _Just peachy. Absolutely_. "I'm just not hungry. May I be excused?"

            With that, Hector excused himself and walked out.

            "Why, Mrs. Hedgehog!" Mina was scarfing down the food. "Whats wrong with him?"

            "Maybe he's sick." Mrs. Mongoose looked at Hector's mother. "Perhaps you should get him some type of penecillin shot. Those things work miracles."

            "I'm not sure." Hector's mother nodded. "Well, I'm going to put all of this away."

-------

            _She's alive......she's really alive......_

            "Hector!"

            His mother stood at the doorway as he undressed. Putting on his pajamas, he was suddenly presented with a glass of warm milk. Outside, the rain softly pattered.

            "Here, dear." Hector's mother pinched him ."This will help you feel better." 

            "Thank you, mo-"

            "Oh!!" Mina's voice drilled. "This room is so _beautiful_...."

            "Mother, must they stay?"   

            "Of course!" Hector's mother scolded. "Of course they have to! Its tradition for your bride to stay on night two weeks before the wedding! Now, drink that up and go to bed."

            Hector drank up, although his mind was on something else. _Sally......you exist, but I will never see you again! My job with you's over, and I wish you the best. In my dreams...._

-------

            Several hours later, Hector was still up, his mind completely alert.

            "Sally...." he talked to himself. "How do you exist outside of my dreams?"

            Its seemed impossible to him. Yet not so impossible. He didn't understand why. And there were still questions.

            "Such as," Hector began again, "Who those men were."

            The men had been very familiar to Hector; not as recognizable as Sally, but by no means unknown to him. Their voices, mostly, for they had kept their faces from him. But he _knew_ that he knew them.

            "I wonder who they re, and why-"

            His thoughts were interrupted by a strange sound. His eyes widened. 

            _The living room!___

Without another thought, he put on a bedrobe and quietly tiptoed downstairs.

------

            The rain was getting harder as the princess climbed into the window. She was drenched from head to toe. Her red hair was dripping, as was her clothing.

            _What am I doing here.....___

__

_            "Do I have to go?" Sally turned to the figure. "Its not who I thought it was! How can it be him?! Why?"___

_            "Princess..." The eyes looked up at her. "You must trust me. This boy is the key to saving everyone......"___

__

_            I still don't understand_, Sally spotted a piano. _How Hector holds such importance. He....looks like him......but......_

            As she sat at the piano, the wood of the chair squeaked loudly. With a glance of fear, Sally tensed up and froze.

            _Please…..don't let anyone awaken…._

            "……Sally?"

            The princess almost jumped when she heard the voice of Hector. Before she banged her knees on the piano or screamed, however, she managed to mentally force herself back down _Silent!_

            "Wh….what are you doing here?!" Hector whispered as he fumbled with his glasses. "This isn't the time for anything you're planning, lady!"

            "I….."

            Sally silently stood up from the piano. She took a deep breath and whispered as low as she could.

            "I'm here to give you something."

            "M-me?" Hector's eyes widened. "What are you giving me?"

            "This."

            From her pocket, Sally scrounged around until she came up with a small black box. Promptly, she placed it into Hector's hand.

            "Don't ask," she whispered. "Please, you must protect it."

            "I…."

            Hector knew what it was. Deep down, he knew, ad he didn't want it.

            _But its Sally,_ he thought to himself. _She's in danger!_

            "Sure."            He put it in his pocket. "I'll….take it."

            "Thank you." Sally slowly turned to the piano. "This piano's beautiful."

            "No…..really?"

            "Yeah…" Sally quietly opened up the board covering the keys. "It reminds me of the times I'd play with…….with my friend." She stammered. "He….was such a good pianist."            

            "Really….."

            Something suddenly tugged at Hector. He felt himself drawn to the piano, and he felt like playing a tune. Yet he had never taken a single lesson in his life.

            _What am I doing….?!?!?_ Hector fought, but lost against the strange urge. _Why am I going to wake everyone up with this strange lady in the house?! How will I explain?!?!?!?___

He sat down at the piano with Sally watching, her eyes widening with each move he made. Then he began to play. The beautiful melody carried throughout the house, as if Hector had been playing his whole life.

            _Beautiful….___

__

__

_"Sally..." Sonic giggled. "How's that?"___

_            "Beautiful." Sally, and Sonic, both children, both giggled. "I just hope the hands will play forever…."_

            "Hec….tor….." Sally could only gasp as he finished. "How…..did you know that song?"

            "It was….your favorite as a child."

            "Only Sonic knew that."

            "I…"

            Hector stopped. He looked at his hands. __

_            Wait……I don't remember it…….ever being……in the comic…….._

            The shocking revelation made him gasp. It was shocking. He had, for a moment, been immersed within a memory….an image……that had been……

            _No, no NO!!!_ Hector's mind screamed. _It…it can't be real!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_

            "Hector…."

            "HECTOR!!!!!!!"

            The lights were suddenly on upstairs. Three shadows appeared in the staircase.

            "Oh no!!" Hector turned. "Princess, you should-"

            But turning, there was no one there. _What the…?!?!?_

            "Hector Hedgehog!!" His mother was the first to come down. "What are you doing at this time of night, in the middle of the poring rain, playing the piano?!"

            "Uh…." Hector turned about wildly. "I-"      

            "Oh, Mrs. Hedgehog!" Mina squealed. "He opened the window and now the rain is coming in!!"

            Hector turned, and indeed there was a puddle of water where Sally had been. He gave a gasp. _Ack! Must……think…._

            "Oh!" Suddenly, Hector laughed. "I….did!? Well, I…..the last thing I remember is going to sleep."

            "You…." Hector's mother looked at him suspiciously for a moment, only to laugh. "Oh! Foolish boy. Sleepwalking, I see!"

            "Well, Irme," Mina's mother stepped forward. "If he does it often, he should see a therapist. Its bad for him!"

            "Oh, Hector!" His mother shook his head. "My milk must not have been warm enough. Now, come along upstairs, I'll close this God-forsaken window, and you go to bed."

            Hector nodded. However, his mind was not on sleep; it was on what just happened.

            _I don't believe it,_ he thought. _I…I think I'm going crazy….___

__

-------

            The Spyder was outside of the house, in invisible mode.

            "Oh, god…." Sally's head was in her hands. "I don't get it, I _don't_. For a moment, that kid….was Sonic!"

            The figure, who sat next to her, patted her on the shoulder as she rubbed her eyes.

            "Don't worry," he said. "He's the key. It will all come out right in the end."


	4. 4

The Realization of Hector Hedgehog

The Story of the Secret Life

Chapter 4

Storms, Assassins, Showgirls & Knuckles

            The rain poured onto the city with a ferocious magnitude unseen on a Wednesday in the middle of September. The wind made it even more ferocious to those who were still up. For Hector, who had always been very fearful of thunderstorms, it was a living nightmare. He shivered as he clenched his blankets, not knowing whether he should jump up and scream bloody murder or just lay and calmly take the abuse of the storm.

            "Morning, Heck!!!!!" Mina threw the doors open to Hector's room. She then proceeded to jump on his bed. "Come on, sleepy head, time to wake up for work!!!!!"

            _Uuuuuuuuuuuuuugh_. Hector's lids were half opened, and his undereyes were puffy. _Get away from me. Please. Get away._

            A week had passed since Sally had intruded into the house. Seven days had passed since Hector began to realize that he was either going crazy or he was dreaming. After a week, he had started to think he was dreaming.

            At least he wanted to. The small, thin black box that Sally had given him was still in his closet, still in the back pocket of his denim jeans, which he never wore. He had this fleeting idea that he wasn't going to be seeing the last of her, either. Or of her mafioso friends, whom he hadn't seen for eight days, but whom were obviously responsible for his misery of the moment.

            "Now, Hector," His mother looked at him as he poked at his (burnt) sausage. "I _know_ that it seems complicated and unholy to you to have Mina sleeping only a few yards away from you, but I just want you to know that you only have a week before your wedding. You have to get used to her being around when you get home, understand? Both my mother and Gertrude's mother made us do the same thing with our husbands, whether they wanted to or not. Besides, it cuts down on infidelity."

            Oh, now, Irme." Mina's mother laughed. "You know perfectly well that _Hector_ would _never_ cheat on the girl he loves. He'd hate himself for it, wouldn't you?"

            "Yes, ma'am." _So, does this explain why I hate myself for being with Mina when I know that Sally exists? Tell me that._

            "Hector!!" Hector's mother folded her arms in astonishment as she looked down on his plate. "Why, you haven't even eaten a single thing on your plate!!"

            "Come on, Heck!!" Mina gave him a slap on the back. "This cooking is absolutely deee-_lic_ious!!! Have some for a change!!!!"

            "Um..." Hector looked down at his plate. "You know what? I'm not hungry."

            "Again?!"

            "Look, mom, I have to go get dressed. I'll be late." 

            With that, Hector excused himself from the table and darted upstairs. Awestruck, the women at the table looked at each other. Mina started to eye Hector's abandoned plate greedily.

            "I don't know what's gotten into that boy of yours, Irme."

            "I don't know, either." Hector's mother looked over to the stairs. "Normally, he'll eat a truckload of food in a day, but he's hardly eaten anything this past week. Maybe I should get him some help." _Or I should make him eat it with the belt, that ungrateful son of mine. All I do for him-_

            "Oh, Ms. Irme, I'm sure he's fine!!" Mina giggled. "I'm sure he's just tense about the wedding. I mean, he's probably just upset about not having a bachelor party-"

            "MINA!!!!" Her mother suddenly jumped up and gasped. "Of all the uncivilized...go get me the soap!!"

            "Ok, mama." Mina's head went down. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean it that way..." With that, she started to cry.

            "Oh, Gertrude." Hector's mother gave a sad sigh as Mina whimpered. "I think you were being too harsh on her."

            "Oh, you're right!" Mina's mother gave her a hug. "I'm sorry, Mina. Tell you what, let me help you with dressing today..."

----------

            Hector waddled his way into his office and slumped down into his chair. He winced and lifted his shirt to give his cut stomach a look. A small gash waited for him, and it was very fresh. He gave a sigh. 

            _This is the last time I ever wear a metal belt from my closet,_ he thought as he tucked his shirt back into his pants. _I don't get it. I really don't get it at all. Then again..._

            He had not noticed the amount of weight he had lost in the past week (probably because his face had remained the same) until he had put his pants on that morning. It was rather shocking for him to find that his pants were now hanging off of him. In fact, he had never had to wear a belt to keep his pants up. But it made sense to him now. _You don't eat, you lose weight. Then again, I just haven't had the heart to eat. And when I do, I eat very little. It's strange..._

            "Hello." Geoffrey's smirking face popped in. "Hope you had fun last night. Did your mother whip you again for waking everyone up?"

            "No. I haven't been sleepwalking lately." 

            He hated Geoffrey more than ever. He began to realize that _someone_ had to have been telling him what was going on in his house, and he was beginning to suspect Mina. Normally, Geoffrey wouldn't comment on his sleeping patterns. _Does he have a phone at his desk?_

            "Well, I can see you've been having problems with writing your comic."

            "I've been having writer's block lately." _I think I'm going crazy because my fictional heroine is in the city at this moment with the Mob and I don't know how it's physically possible for her to be here_. "What's your excuse?"

            Geoffrey's eyes grew wide, then he scowled. Geoffrey was forever late with his stories, and he never really had a good reason for it.

            "I don't have to answer to _you_, boy. You just go back to work." With that, Geoffrey slammed the door.

            _I don't believe it!!!!!!!!!!!!_ Hector's mouth dropped as he realized what he did. _I ACTUALLY TALKED BACK TO GEOFFREY!!!! And...I did it so well. Where did that come from?!?!? Holy smokes!!!_

            After doing some quiet "woo-woos" in his chair, Hector looked over his storyboards and found himself justifiably confused. He had a story of Sonic escaping Group B's operatives in the Acorn Kingdom......but it just didn't quite click. It was a dead end for him, and for the first time in his life he couldn't imagine it happening!! It was almost as if Sonic wasn't even there anymore...

            _Oh well..._ Hector noticed that someone had left a menu for the company's cafeteria on the desk. He looked it over. _Well, I might as well try to figure out a way to maybe do the next issue before I get too caught up in the wedding. I do have a legitimate reason for not being able to work right now, so Geoffrey can take the comic, though I hope he can get it in on time, and maybe its not a good......hey, I didn't know the cafeteria had chili dogs..._

----------

            As noon slowly engulfed the city, the figure and his driver quietly waited, in the Racer X on the corner, unseen by the rest of the world.

            "Why do you think Sally gave this crazy loser the chip?" The iguana looked at the figure. "I mean, he's got no class, and no experience for espionage of any type. And I still don't see what you see in him."

            "Patience there, Reese." The figure gave a chuckle. "You'll see tha-"

            He abruptly stopped. His head cocked sharply to one side, looking over to the left side of where he was sitting. Outside, people were milling around and smoking.

            "Huh?" The iguana looked over to the sidewalk. "I don't-"

            "Ssssssssssh," The figure hissed.

            After a moment, a grey bear dressed in a dark brown suit walked silently into the building. He seemed to easily blend into the crowd to Reese. But it was at his entrance into the building that caused the figure in the back to give a slight growl.

            "He knows."

            "What?!?"

            "He's one of them." The figure's eyes met Reese's. "Do what I tell you. He'll be coming out of the building in a few minutes, I'm sure of it." 

            "He's afte-"

            "Don't talk." The figure's voice had a frantic tone to it. "Do as I say. I want you to go into reverse..."

---------

            Hector had never had a more satisfying meal in his life, or at least what he could remember of it. It was like eating something that was both spicy and not spicy at that same time. He had never tasted a chili dog, even though it was the food of choice for his hero...

            _Say,_ he thought. _I wonder why Sonic isn't here at this moment? Hmmm...maybe, somehow, I must have wished Sally from my comic world and brought her into this world. Maybe that explains why I imagined her on the boat, and she had been there. But then why didn't Sonic come? And where are all of the other Freedom Fighters at this moment?_

            His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. Hector looked up, gave a gasp, and proceeded to wipe away the small bits of chili dog that had gotten on his chin with his napkin. He threw what remained of the wrapping of the food and the napkin away before opening the door.

            "Hello."

            "Hello." In front of him was a burly grey bear in a brown suit. "Am I to presume that you are the owner of this office, Hector Hedgehog?"

            "Yes." Hector cocked his head to one side, a little confused, as he let the bear in. "What can I do you for?"

            "I am here to inspect you." _I don't understand what boss is talking about. This_ is_ him_.

            "Inspect me? For what?"

            "Just to inspect you."

            "Uh..." Hector was becoming confused. "Inspect _what_?"

            "Oh, I am just an inspector from the head division of this company..." The bear's ears perked up.

            "Is something wrong?"

            "Am I to assume, sir," The bear gave a sniff, "that you have very recently eaten a chili dog?"

            "Ummm...well, yes I did." Hector smiled. "I normally don't have-"

            "LIES!!"

            The sudden outburst made Hector jump back in fright, his eyes wide with shock. After a moment, the bear nervously laughed.

            "Oh, please, Mr. Hedgehog, forgive me. You see, I have a tendency to have stupid outbursts of stupidity."

            "Um, right." Hector felt slightly uneasy about the bear. "Right! But...what are you here to inspect?"

            "I am...here to inspect..." The bear gave a very quick glance around the room, and his eye caught on of the _Sonic the Hedgehog_ comic covers. "...your comic."

            "My _comic_? Why?"

            "There...was a problem at the printing press." There, now he was getting somewhere with the hedgehog. _I just hope I don't blow my cover_. "We need to see the original copy of the pages so that we can...make a new press for it.

            "Oh!!" _Figures._ "I have them in my filing cabinet. Just a sec."

            With that, Hector quickly walked over to his filing cabinet to shuffle through the thousands of papers that were in it. _Gosh, I have so much prototype stuff in here its not even funny,_ he thought. _I even have stuff about Sonic's roboticized mom. And that's not for a while yet. Hmmm...where did I put it last week?!_

            As Hector fretted over where his papers were, the bear calmly put on a pair of gloves. He then reached into his pocket and drew out a knife, which he put behind his back. _Don't worry, little Sonic Hedgehog. Take your time with Uncle Jepshtat. He has some business with you, you little point-eared prick_.

            "By the way," The bear smiled. "How is Sally doing in this old country?"

            "Oh, she seems to be adjusting." Hector flipped through the second most recent comic's pages. "I mean, her coming from another di-"

            Hector's heart stopped. _Wait a minute. Why is he asking me...No. No. No. It can't be..._

            The knife was fast, but somehow Hector was able to turn around and grab Jepshtat's hand before it got a chance to plunge the weapon into his heart. With a grunt, he tried to push the bear away. But he was too strong, and instead Hector found himself being pushed into the wall.                        

At the last minute, the bear suddenly instead shoved him through a window. The glass shattered and fell to the ground, some of it hitting a girl in the head. From the ground, Reese gave a shout (though no one could hear him through the car doors) as they saw Hector being pressed over the ledge.

            "AAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!" Hector gave a scream. "Help!! Help!!!!! Police!!!!!!!"

            "Hector!!!" Geoffrey's head popped in angrily. "What in-" He stopped when he saw what was happening. After a sec, he started to laugh. "Ha ha, veeery funny. Hiring a hitman. Kintobor will make you pay for that window for sure. 'Scuse me."

            With that, Geoffrey slammed the door. With a grunt, the bear lost the knife to gravity, so he resorted to choking Hector instead. Hector gasped for air as he found that he couldn't catch it.

            "Whoo...aare...yoou..."

            "I shall tell you who I am if you tell me where your princess put that chip!!"

            "Chip...?!?"

            "Don't act stupid, hedgehog!!!" The bear's grip became tighter. "I know what you are trying to do. You are simply trying to play dumb with me, eh? Thinking I can't see behind those phony glasses of yours? I can recognize an old enemy from miles away!! Don't EVER call me a fool!!!"

            _Phony glasses?_ Hector struggled to think as his air supply began to dwindle. _No, I've worn these all my life. Old...enemy...Oh no...he's from the comic as well!? Then that means..._

            "It's time to die, hedgehog." 

            Jepshtat's grip became ever so tighter. Calling all of his strength together, Hector drew as deep a breath as he could, and he scrunched up and jammed his legs in between the bear's pants.

            The effect was instantaneous. The bear gave a roar as it fell to the floor, holding itself in pain. At that precise moment, however, Kintobar burst into the room, his face red.

            "Just _what_ in the hell is the meaning of this?!" He angrily screamed. "I am in an important meeting, and I'm interrupted by Geoffrey who says you _broke my window?!?! _ I want a good explanation, Hedgehog, or I'll fire you on the spot!!"

            "No, sir, it's not what you think!" Hector found himself on the defensive. _His _window_? Here I am, almost getting killed, and all he cares about is  a _window?!?

            "Ha!" 

            Without warning, the bear jumped up and kicked Kintobar square in the face. As the fat man doubled over in pain, the bear smashed another window, punching it in anger that he had failed, before bolting.

            "Oh no you don't!!" Hector suddenly found himself running after him. "Come back here, you!!"

            "No, no no!!!!" Kintobar whined. "Someone get me a washcloth and some ice!!! Aaaa!! The pain!!!!!!!"

-------

            Jepshtat cursed himself as he flew down the stairs. He had failed. His boss would accept nothing under his death for it. For following him furiously down the stairs was the man he was supposed to kill, Sonic the Hedgehog.

            Hector leaped over the handle bar as he chased him down, dropping himself two staircases. His adrenaline was up and flowing. No matter what, he could not allow this agent to get back to his boss alive, whomever it might have been. No matter what, he had to protect Sally from this enemy that had followed her over.

            _The chip!!!_ Hector's thoughts snapped in realization. _Oh my god, the B-666 micro chip?! The one that Sally stole in #22 when she had learned that it held the key to decoding the derobotization sequence? That must be…I was right! Oh God, if that's here, and they think I'm Sonic...Oh, God, Oh, God, OH GOD!!! I can't let this guy get away from me!!!_

            After what seemed like forever, Jepshtat finally reached the bottom of the stairs. With all of his remaining strength, Hector jumped the last handle and leaped onto him. The two wrestled around like children for a moment, until Jepshtat punched Hector in the face and threw him off.

            "I'll get you yet!!!" Was that last thing the bear said before bolting towards the main lobby.

            Hector's jaw rang as he gasped for air, calling on reserve energy he knew he didn't have. He ran, though he knew by now it was pointless to do so, even after only twenty seconds. Twenty seconds was all it took for him to lose a guy that was after Sally.

            _Man..._ Hector rubbed his cheek as he tried to run along. _I really..._

            He stopped as he got to the door. Outside, the bear was running out into the street, shouting at people that almost ran him over. He slammed his hand down on one of the cabs that was pulling through, screaming.

            "Pig!!" He screamed. "Can't you see I'm late for an appointment?!?"

            The next thing that happened, happened almost too quickly for Hector to have thought it happened, and yet it did. As he turned to jump over another car in his way, Jepshtat was suddenly thrown up brutally into the air by an unseen force, and whatever the unseen force was caused him to hang there, rolling over thin air. After a few minutes of honking from other cars, the bear's limp and bloody body rolled over and dropped to the ground, flopping as it did so.

            Hector's mouth dropped open as he saw it. It almost seemed impossible. The bear had been flying. And now he was dead. _How..._

            Without thinking Hector ran over to the bear, who lay in the middle of the street, and he took his hand. It was starting to get stiff, and cold to the touch. Fearing what he already knew had been done, Hector dropped the bear's hand to the ground. There was no recoil, for his hand was too relaxed.

            _He's dead...He's_ dead..._oh my God...this day can't get any worse..._

            Suddenly, without warning, a small glow surrounded Hector, the dead bear, and eight feet of street behind them. Small glowing lines began to appear in the air and on the ground, first unconnected, then becoming a circle, a rectangle, a square...a hood, a tire, a windshield...a whole car. Then the color began to come: grey. the windows on the side materialized, becoming tinted. The car was soon completely materialized in front of Hector in a matter of microseconds.

            Fear welled up inside of Hector when he saw the car appear in front of him. It was bad enough that the car had been invisible. It worse when he knew whose car it was. His suspicions were all too easily confirmed when he saw, coming from the back seat and walking over to him, the mafioso whom had first confronted Hector over a week ago. He took his hand and picked it up and dropped it as well, a tsking sound coming from his throat.

            "Fool. Thinking he could get away so easily."

            That clinched it for Hector. He knew exactly what was going on. Everything was clear to him now. The Mob was after him. In agreement with his mind was his fist, which inexplicably sailed towards the mafioso's face.

            But the figure was too quick for him. With a simple turn of his head the attack was avoided. As quick as he had avoided Hector, he took Hector and slapped him hard in the face with a force the hedgehog had never felt before. As he fell, the mafioso grabbed his collar.

            "You're not as strong as you wish you could be," the mafioso's familiar voice hissed into Hector's ear. "You only wish you were _anything_ like Sonic."

            With that, the mafioso threw him down, and took off through the streets.

            "Meet me there, Reese..." were his last words before disappearing.

            "No!!!!!"

            Hector sprung up reproachfully, more angry and incensed than ever at the hoodlum. Without another word, he ran after him.

            _I'm going to get you..._ Hector angrily thought as he disappeared into the crowd. _I'll get you, and I'll make you talk!!!_

-------

            Down in the slightly poorer sections of the city lay a showroom theater, a place where people could get away from the business of the town to get some entertainment. Though this particular revenue was well-known for it's more unsavory business (at least for the woman), today's show involved a performance from a ballet performing an exotic tale of love, hate, betrayal and triumph.

            For Sally, however, it really didn't matter to her as she quietly waited backstage for her friend to show up. He had promised to try to reveal everything to her - the reason for her coming here, the possible place where her enemies were hiding and, most important of all to her, all of his reasons for choosing that strange boy that looked like Sonic to be the keeper of the chip. 

            _He said he wanted to do it in a way that wouldn't attract the enemies' attention, so where better than at a place known to be a strip joint?_ She sighed as she put her foot down. _Nice going, Sally. Even if he is-_

            Suddenly, the back door burst open, and her friend came in, gasping only a small bit for air.

            "Sorry I'm late, princess."

            "What's happened to you?" Sally put her hands on her hips. "You sound like you were running. Where's Reese?"

            "Actua-"

            "DUUURRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!"

            Without warning Hector leaped onto the mafioso, knocking his hat off and dragging him to the floor. Gasping, he jumped back off of him, punching him as he did.

            "How do you like _that_, bud?"

            "HECTOR!!!" Sally's eyes flashed with anger and shock as she ran over to pick the mafioso up. "You bastard! How could you!!"

            "Actually, my parents were married and..." Hector's voice trailed off. His eye grew wide with complete and utter horror. "Oh my God."

            The mafioso, being helped by Sally, was completely revealed even in the dim stage lights. He was an echidna, and a red one at that, with piercing purple eyes and dreadlocks falling down from his head. He looked up at Hector, his eyes both angered and insulted, but if Hector looked deeper he could have sworn that his eyes were filled with a sense of amusement.

            "No..." Hector stepped back. "This can't be right..." _It's not right. It can't be right. And yet his voice was right the whole time. Oh, God, Oh, God. I'm not dreaming, am I?_ "Uh, look, I can-"

            "Don't have to." The echidna bluntly cut him off. "I understand completely. Here's my reply to that."

            Without so much as batting his eyes, he socked Hector so hard the hedgehog's eyes rolled into the back of his head as he fell to the floor.

            "Knuckles!!!!" Sally glared at him. "You really didn't have to do it like that. He's just an innocent."

            "That's what you think, Sally." Knuckles rubbed his nose, numbing whatever pain Hector's pithily punch had inflicted. "There's more to it than that, though, you'll see. I think what I've just been through is only the beginning..."

            Knuckles turned to see Sally's pleading eyes, but it was clear the echidna was giving nothing away yet. With a sigh, Sally took one of Hector's arms while Knuckles took the other, and they both dragged him away from the shadows, the hat Knuckles had used completely forgotten.


	5. 5

The Realization of Hector Hedgehog Chapter 5 

**A Battle, Sort Of**

                Within the confines of his mansion fortress overlooking the city, the ferret blew some more cigar smoke into the air. However, this time it was a more worrisome ferret that sat at the desk than the one that had been there a week before. This time, pictures of his dead agent were on front of him, and so were pictures of a mysterious figure that had been responsible for his death. With a weary sigh, he tossed the picture onto the table.

            "This news is somewhat disturbing, Ingo."

            "Yes, sir." 

            Ingo's heart sank a bit each time he saw the pictures. After all, they were all brothers. Maybe not in blood, but belief. It was always a shame to see a brother die in person, especially now, and this person, since Ingo had learned much of what he knew from Jepshtat. However, Ingo knew that duty came before emotions, so he forced back the tears. 

            Sensing his sadness, however, Parker put a hand on his shoulder. It was hard for him to lose a friend as well. But the time to mourn was later.

            "So it seems that the Freedom Fighters are in the city, protecting this child." The ferret studied the pictures carefully. "It's quite odd, really." iI know for a fact that this isn't that annoying hedgehog from Acorn. Yet, the rebels seem to be with him./i 

            "Maybe it's a ruse," Parker suggested. "It does look remarkably like Sonic, that kid."

            "Perhaps." _Or maybe this is the real Sonic, and we never saw it before. How could I have misjudged before?_ "I want you to find him again."

            "That's no problem, sir." Ingo looked at Parker. "We saw them heading to an abandoned theater on the other side of this city. Perhaps that is where the Freedom Fighters are hiding out in this city."

            "Very well." The ferret got up from his seat and looked out the window. "Find them. And extract the chip from them. I certainly wouldn't want to invoke the Dark King's wrath, just as I know you don't. Now, move out."

            As the agents left the room, the ferret looked out of the window, observing the city as it lay before him. 

            _Such an old-fashioned country,_ he thought. _It seems impossible that we are the outcasts of this world, and such ignorance is the accepted practice elsewhere. The people, living like ants, unseeing of others, just themselves_.

            He took out an ashtray and crushed his cigar. For a moment, he contemplated, then chuckled at the thought of the people who lived in the city.

            _Yes, these people, and those Freedom Fighters, like ants. So easy to squash when found._

---------

            _"...........ight?"_

_            "I..........e."_

_            Sonic's mind shifted through the twisting shapes that he though he saw in front of him. His whole face felt like someone had stuck it into a freezer. He tried to move his lips, but found he was unable to. Suddenly, it felt like his face was stuffed into a pillow._

_            "....ut........u d....t?"_

_            "Wo.....................ated.........s.....ly?.......we...........th."_

_            His throat suddenly clamped shut. There was no air. It was as if he had suddenly gotten into a vacuum, stuck between life and death, and he was slipping towards the later. _

            No. No. NO!!!! I...can't....breathe....

            _".....ct....?"_

_            "....e..................rms.........!!!!"_

_            He could hear them. He knew that he was slipping. He could feel himself in dream state, dying. He tried to open his eyes, or move his body, but his mind was in shut down mode._

            /iNOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! Body, DON'T DO THIS TO ME!!!!!!I

            _His mouth opened wide, trying to take in air that didn't exist in the vacuum. He gasped with all of his might, but it was as if he had forgotten how to breathe properly. This was no dream to him. He was drifting off to oblivion, and he couldn't move, couldn't even breathe..._

            /iGuys........i

            _".......or?!?"_

_            "A........ni.........ack.........nnec...............mia."_

            I can hear you. I've got to try. I'm going to force myself to open my eyes!!!!!! I'm going to show you!!!! I'm still here!!!

            _With the last bit of strength he could muster before his mind slipped from him, he gathered all of his strength into his eyelids. He could feel his body thrashing as he did so, and a shudder went through his body as he forced his eyes to open..._

            Open. Open. Open!!!!! OPEN NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-----------

            Hector's eyes jerked open so fast it almost gave him dementia. He felt his head tilt back as he gathered his strength and inhaled all of the breath he could take in. He could feel his brain cells rejuvenate, even as he tried to figure whose voice belonged to whom, and even as he felt some sweat pour down his face.

            "Oh, god." A female voice filled his ears. _Sally_. "Is it really that bad? Is he going to be all right?"

            "Even with all the thrashing," another voice replied, "He'll be fine. Like I said, it was a panic attack."

            "But what does it have to do with us?"

            "You'll see soon, I'm sure."

            _A panic attack_. Hector gasped for air. _It seemed too real. I thought my mind was being choked. Yet....it didn't feel like it was my mind for some odd reason...Aw!!_ Hector cursed himself. _Bull! How could it have been someone else's mind? You fool._

            "Uuugh...what happened?"

            "You were unconscious. Remember? You had chased me?"

            _Chased..._ Hector's brain clicked. _The mobster. I was chasing the mobster. But he took off his hat, and he looked like Knuckles. Knuckles the Echidna, the guardian of the floating Angel Island, also from my comic. This is a dream...right?_

            Hector's eyes shifted over to his right, and his heart sunk even lower. Sitting there was Knuckles, still wearing his mob suit, but without his hat. His purple eyes stared intently at Hector, in the same way he stared down his enemies in Hector's comic. _Hooboy_, now _I'm in trouble._

            "He'll be all right."

            "Well, I guess that's good." Sally looked around. "But now we can't leave or they'll think of us as rude."

            "Who?" Hector had not completely grasped where he was.

            "The people in the theater."

            With a start, Hector's head darted up, where he saw that, indeed, he was in a theater, crowded with people of all ages. The theater was old, darkly lit  and run down, and the seat he was in was reduced to the springs in the lining.

            "Wait, but-"

            "They're having a performance of a play here." Knuckles looked over at Sally. "I was supposed to meet Sally here, and try to get her to another safe place in this city, but unfortunately I discounted you following me. Something I don't plan on doing next time, if there is a next time."

_That doesn't sound very reassuring.._. Hector decided to not glance over at his (imaginary, he was sure) seating neighbors as the play began. 

            It was obviously a musical, given the elaborate numbers that the woman put on. Everyone laughed at how, while dancing, the men just looked utterly ridiculous. Everyone, that is, except for three of the patrons in the second row.

            _I'm really beginning to become very wary of these people._ Hector, as much as he didn't want to, kept shifting his eyes towards Sally and Knuckles. _Especially Knuckles, if this is Knuckles. He looks really mad for some reason. Wait...Oh yeah, I punched him...Ooops.._

            _What on earth is Knuckles looking at?_ Sally's mind was filled with worry. _It's almost like he's staring behind the curtain. But why? God, don't let him sense anyone who's following us..._

            _Dammit._ Knuckles' eyes slit. _I can sense them. They're here. At least two. But I can't figure out where. And I can't warn Sally, lest I get the whole theater in an uproar. Damn. Damn_. Damn.

            "Lovely play, isn't it?" was all Knuckles could say.

            "Ummm...sure." Hector bit his finger. "Really nice play."

            Hector's eyes shifted back to stage at this point. From the side of the stage, he could see a glint of something from behind the curtain. It seemed to be held by someone in the back.

            _What a careless stage manager._ Hector tired to look closer. _Letting his patrons see...waiaminute, that's...oh my GOD..._

            "Knuckles!!!" Knuckles suddenly heard Hector's terrified whisper. "Over there...it's-"

            Knuckles' eyes glanced over to see what was there, but before he could jump up and scream, "GUN!!", he was thrown back with ferocious force, and was knocked out.

---------

            _The sniper carefully positioned himself behind the back of the stage. His eyes scanned over the audience until he spotted who he was looking for in the second row. He made a tsk sound as his target simply sat there, her face obviously filled with worry. _

            Don't worry, princess, _The sniper thought as he cocked his gun._ You won't have anything to worry about soon.

            _He suddenly noticed that, as he aimed his gun, the hedgehog had noticed him. The hedgehog, the one that his boss ordered destroyed as well, quickly patted the shoulder of the person seated next to him...Knuckles' the Echidna!!_

_            The sniper's heart froze._ Maybe I'm doing this wrong. I'd better do this qui-

            _He didn't even have time to finish his sentence. The never saw him coming. It was as if he had just appeared from thin air on the other side of the stage, throwing himself at  the black clad figure, the effect if his attack throwing all of the players off of the stage. The sniper could hear the patron screaming as he was thrown to the ground by the powerful blast of air. As soon as his back hit the floor, he felt a foot on his chest. His gun, which was supposed to be used for geting rid of Sally, was now pointed at his head._

            "Nice try, bud." An all-too familiar hedgehog silhouette stood above him. "You touch a hair on her head, I'll break your face."

----------

            Sally shook her head violently. The sudden blast of air had knocked her into another row. It had been unlike anything she had felt up to that point in this city. Everyone in the theater, see what happened to everyone in the first rows, started to scream as they fled to packed theater.

            _My head..._

            "Touch....hair..."

            "Hector?!" Sally quickly leaped over to the row in front of her. "Are you-"

            "I'll...your face..."

            Sally froze as she pulled him up from the seat. His face, almost expressionless, looked still and eerie. His entire body was completely limp, but she could hear him breathing. His eyes were somehow glazed over to the point where not even his pupils could be seen through the brown iris. His lips moved, but only slightly, and only to mutter.

            "Not....so fast..."

            "Hector...Hector!!!!!" Sally shouted. _What wrong with him?!? Can't he hear me?!??_

            A loud scream echoed from the left side of the stage as a black clad creature was suddenly thrown onto center stage. Sally watched as the creature screamed again.

            "Get away!! I didn't mean it!! Don't touch me!!!!"

            The next thing that happened nearly threw Sally into having premature heart attack. It seemed too surreal to have actually happened, but she stared, her eyes opening wider and wider with each passing second as another figure walked onto the stage.

            _No...this can't be..._

            His green eyes completely bore into the sniper. With the gun in one hand, and the other hand in a fist, Sonic stood over him, his stature like that of an executioner. The creature shuddered with fear as the hedgehog threw the firearm off of the stage.

            "Now it's time to tell me where your friend is."

            "I don't have a friend. I work alone!!"

            "Not a cool answer."

            The sniper tried to jump away, only to meet Sonic's leg as it carreened into his neck, knocking him unconscious. With a grunt, the sniper fell to the floor.

            "SONIC!!!!!!!!!!!!" Sally screamed.

            Sonic's head turned around to see Sally in the theater. In the seat next to her was a familiar face - with the exception that his eyes were different. Sonic gave a gasp.

            "Sal, that's...!"

            "Knuckles is gone, and I can't get this up!!" Sally started to slap Hector. "Hector!!! Hector, wake up!!"

            "SAL!!!" Sonic screamed. 

            The slapping almost worked. For a moment, Hector's pupils seemed to reappear in his eyes. Sally turned back around to Sonic.

            "Sonic, this kid is..."

            Sally's shouted introduction turned instantly into a scream. Sonic suddenly fell to his knees, his hands to his head. His figure suddenly distorted, almost becoming transparent on the stage. It was as if he was flickering from sight.

            "AAAAAAAAAH!!!!!"

            "Hold it right there!!!!"

            The second sniper, assuming that Sally had been hit, jumped from his hiding place in the theater rafters, landing on the stage in front of the disappearing Sonic. But to no avail; Knuckles' fist connected with his face.

            "Duaaah!!!"

            "SONIC!!!" Sally jumped up to him. "What…..what's going on?!"

Sonic looked up at him, his body temporarily re-appearing. He looked at Knuckles, who slowly nodded.

            "If it must be that way…"

            "What?!" Sally looked at Hector, then at Sonic. "Sonic can it.."

            "Sally…."

            Sonic took her and gave her a dep kiss. After a moment, Sally broke it, her eyes misting up with tears.

            "It can't be right…" she whispered. "You can't go."

            "Sal…." It was obviously difficult for him. "I have to."

            "No!"

            "Kn…Knuckles…"

            "If you really want me to."

            Knuckles swung hard at Hector's jaw. His fist connected to his chin, and the hedgehog jumped up with a start.

            "NOOOOOOO!!!"

            Sonic eyes widened, but before he could say anything his form suddenly disappeared, fading out like a bad channel.

            "SONIC!!!" Sally screamed. "SONIC!!!"

            "Huh…..wha…?!" 

Hector looked around, confused. He rubbed his jaw, which was in a great amount of pain.

"YOU!!!!" Sally's hand suddenly smashed into Hector's cheek. "Asshole!! You……." She started to cry. "You're chaining him!!! Let him go!!!!"

"Ow…." Knuckles stared at him and Sally.. "You! What did you do to my jaw?! What are you talking about?!?"

"Nothing…." Knuckles turned to Sally. "Let's get out of here."

The tearful Sally nodded, but as they began to walk the sound of clicking barrels came into earshot.

            "FREEZE!!!!!!"

            Suddenly, Knuckles and Hector were smacked hard in the head. 

            _No….._ Hector drifted. _No…..no….._

-------

            "We have them, sir."

            The ferret nodded to Ingo. The three bags were hoisted into a truck.

            "We'll have some fun tonight…" he blew a puff of smoke. "We shall see how long this story lasts…."


	6. 6

**The Realization of Hector Hedgehog**

A Story of the Secret Life

Ch. 6

Huh?

            i_The cold, damp cellar had no windows. All there was in it were two chairs, with two sleeping figures in them, and a jug of water, nothing more. It was the perfect prison inside the elaborate mansion._

_            The sun was still high when the echidna's eyes fluttered open. Muttering, he went to rub his eyes but found himself unable to do it very easily. His hands were tied to the chair he was sat in._

_            "Dammit." He turned to the figure next to him, a hedgehog. "Hector!!"_

_            "Nnn..."_

_            The other figure's eyes slowly opened. The emerald green irises were the brightest things in the room. The echidna stared at he waking figure in shock._

_            "Is this possible..you've...?."_

_            "Ugh..." The hedgehog muttered. "I feel like a sledgehammer just had a talk with my skull. Knux, where are we?"_

_            "I don't know..." Knuckles was shocked that he was seeing what he was seeing. "We were gassed by that dog, remember?"_

_            "Parker Kane." The thought made him a bit preturbed. "Yeah, sort of."_

            _"I guess you know what happened, then, don't you?" Knuckles quietly grasped the knot in his bindings._ Is it a right tilting double-knot? Hm...I wish I had fingernails sometimes...

_            "Sort of." The hedgehog quietly bent in his seat. "Look, I don't have much time. It's a miracle I even was able to take control of the shell. We've got to get out of here before the effect of that gas wears off of Hector. If he wakes up before then, we're sitting ducks."_

_            "No problem."_ Almost got it. _"But what about  the princess?"_

_            "We'll have to assume Sal's in the same building we are." The hedgehog suddenly went into a triple spin, cutting his own ropes. "Just have to remember the name and number, and we'll be on our way."_

_            "No problem for me." Knuckles silently finished untying the double knot _(Thank God_). He spotted the suit he had disguised himself in, and he took it with him. "Let's do it."_

_            With that, the two bounded up the stairs, and opened the door._

            "What the-" 

_            The guards on duty were mowed down by Knuckles' right hook. Grabbing Knuckles' hand, the hedgehog suddenly ran down the hall at speeds only thought to be_ _achievable by car. After several turns, and several more guards, the hedgehog bounded down a large hall. At the end of the hallway was a large window._

_            "Sonic!!" Knuckles grabbed onto the back of the hedgehog's shoulder. "You're not...!!!"_

_            "Sorry, Knux!!" The hedgehog went faster. "And you can't fly. The city'll see."_

_            "SONIC!!!"_

_            With a resounding leap, the two crashed through a window if the luxurious mansion, landing in a large field of tulips. Trampling through, the two quickly ran into the gardens and jumped over the main gate. As the hedgehog landed, he gave a yell and grabbed his head._

_            "Dammit..."_

_            "Sonic?!? Wait!! Don't go yet!!!"_

-----------

            "Ms. Irme!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The corn was starting to boil over on the stove. "What should I do with this now?"

            "Just take it out, dear, I'll handle it in a minute." With a sigh, Hector's mother took out a phonebook. "Now where _is_ that man, I wonder? He was supposed to be here thirty minutes ago. I guess it doesn't matter, though..."

            "Oh, but I just _love_ it when he comes over for dinner!!" Mina merrily burnt her hands as she tossed the corn into a bowl. "Dinner is no _fun_ without him!!"

            As the two chattered on about the inevitable Wednesday night dinner: roast beef and corn. As Hector's Mother took the roast out of the oven, some juice splattered onto the floor.

            "Oh, gosh darn it!!" She gave a sigh. "Well, I guess the beef is overcooked once again."

            "Oh, Ms. Irme," Mina chirped. "It doesn't matter! After all, burnt or no your meals are absolutely on par with a world class chef's!"

            "Do you really think so?" Hector's mother brightened up.

            "Of course I do!!"

            "Mina Mongoose, you will make a wonderful housewife to that son of mine!!" Hector's mother marveled. "But speaking of him, I think I need to rouse him up somehow. Dooh!!" She took off her apron. "Three hours straight he's slept since he got home, and Kintobar called me up in a fury for his missing work!! I'll just have to talk about that to him!!"

            As Hector's mother bounded upstairs, the phone rag. Mina absent-mindedly picked it up.

            "Hello?"

--------------

            "So, little princess." The ferret slowly paced around the room. "You thought that you could outwit me and the gang. Unfortunately, you have been seriously underestimating us."

            Sally's struggle with the ropes weren't working too well. Even with all of the wriggling, her attempts were futile. _Damn. At least I have a chance with the mouth gag..._

            "Of course, this lovely country has some...advantages to it." The ferret continued. "After all, their technology cannot possibly stand up to ours, given that this whole world is essentially outdated compared to you and I. Oh yes, but once I have repossessed the chip from your friends I will have no need for you. The Dark King will have no need for you. Do you understand?"

            When Sally didn't reply, the ferret simply huffed and turned back towards the window.

            "So," he turned back to Porter and Ingo. "I must also deal with incompetence in Group B as well as with the princess. Somehow the others managed to escape me...from my own house. Tell me how they happened to do it."

            "Boss, if I may speak-"

            "No, you may not speak." The ferret sharply cut Porter's plea. "Especially since the one that we deemed unviable as an ally to the Freedom Fighters escaped with the echidna..._through my tulip garden_. Pray tell, how _did_ they get through my tulip garden in the first place?"

            "Sir..." Ingo felt compelled to defend Porter. "So..." _It's hard to think that that kid isn't Sonic, but I'd better change it for Porter's sake._ "The hedgehog used a pick to escape. Then Knuckles managed to subdue that guards while...the hedgehog opened a passage out into your gardens and into the street."

            "I see." The ferret frowned. "I want you to find them both and kill them."

            "You'll never get them, Simon."

            The three turned to Sally, who successfully wriggled her mouth and got the gag off. _All right. I got their attention. Got to look cool and aloof, even though I am flat-out scared at this particular moment_. She gave a laugh, so that she (hopefully) passed herself off as cocky. _Take the bait. Come on..._.

            "Knuckles is Angel Island's greatest defender. You could never find and defeat a fighter like him. And Sonic is the fastest creature in the universe." _And if I'm going to be tortured, at least I want my say._ "When the end comes, all you've done will be nothing but dust."

            The expected slap came to the left side of her face. Sally didn't make a sound as the ferret's hand slashed across her face. _Come on, I've been hit by pillows that were harder..._

            "Lock her up." Simon turned to Parker. "Lock the door tight. And as for the echidna and that...hedgehog," The ferret gave Parker a gun. "I want them brought to me, dead or alive. Go, and don't fail me this time!"

--------------

            "And I don't want you to be outside of your workplace until after five, understand?"

            "Yes, mother."

            Hector's mother trooped Hector back down the stairs into the kitchen, where Mina was talking on the phone. However, Hector's mind was elsewhere. He was still unsure of whether or not he was going insane.

            _I thought...that I was in this big house...with Knuckles..._ Hector's thoughts went back to the fuzzy memories that he had of the past several hours. _It couldn't be possible, that I helped Knuckles escape...could it? No, that's not possible. I'm not that strong. I can't even open the top of a jelly jar!_

            He had suddenly found himself awake, inside his room. He didn't know how, for he thought he had been in that theater….

            "Oh! Guess what!" Mina squealed as she hung up. "That was Geoffrey, Heck! He's coming over after all!!"

            "That's nice, Mina." _Oh, great. Geoffrey. As if I need another lecture._

            "We have to go pick him up at his bank. I'll drive!"

            "And I'll come with you, Mina darling." Hector's mother gave Hector a warning look. "Now I don't want you to touch my roast beef. That's for when Geoffrey and Ms. Gertrude come. Understand?"

            "Yes, mother." _I wouldn't want to eat it anyways._

            "Bye now! And shut the door after us!!"

            As they left, Hector went to close the door. However, as his hand reached for the knob, the door suddenly shut, seemingly on it's own. Hector stared at the door for a split second before making a dive for the phone.

            "NnnnNNNNNNMMMMMMMM!!!!!!"

            Hector's body was suddenly pulled violently away from the phone. A hand flew over his mouth. The hedgehog thrashed to get free, but to no avail.

            "Mmmmphmphmmmp-"

            "Shut up," Knuckles hissed. "They'll hear you!"

            "Mmmph?!"

            Knuckles' other hand went around Hector's neck as he quietly listened to the outside sounds. First came a slam, then an engine was turned on, and the engine itself rolled out of the driveway and into the distance. _Good._

            After about a minute, Knuckles released his hold on Hector, and the poor boy tumbled away, gasping for air. Knuckles then walked over to the corner where he had silently hidden and picked up his suit disguise, dropping it on the couch as he walked.

            "Sorry." Knuckles brushed his knees off. "It's necessary that I do that."

            "Right," Hector gasped.

            "Look, I'm not sure how much time we have. Can we talk?"

            "Look, I-"

            "It's important. I don't think that you want to just brush off what I have to say so easily." Knuckles looked over to the kitchen. "What's that smell?"

            "Smell?"

            "Is that barbecued ribs?" Knuckles abruptly walked over to the kitchen, sniffing. "You know, your mom seems to make ribs all the time. It's unhealthy."

            "Uh, actually," Hector jumped up. "That's roast beef."

            "Roast beef?!" Knuckles looked over the pan with the blackened meat and frowned. "This is sacrileged nuclear waste. If my mother fed me this, I'd be messed up too."

            "Ha. Don't make fun of my mom."

            "But you don't like the way she treats you. Admit that much to me."

            Hector's eyes cast down. There was no mistaking that. He gave a shrug.

            "Yeah, I don't like it. I had-"

            "-an older brother?" Knuckles opened the refrigerator and took out a carton of milk. "He died, though, before you were born. So your mom kind of takes it out on you to be the mama's boy."

            "Uh..." Hector's eyes grew wide at Knuckles' sudden spout of wisdom. "How did you know that?"

            "Sonic told me." Knuckles took a glass and poured the milk in it. He looked up from it and shot an amused look. "What? You look shocked. You don't mind that I have something to drink, do you?"

            "N-n-no." Hector's mind reeled. _Sonic told you...about_ me_!?!? But Sonic is make-believe!!_

            "You'd be surprised what's real and what isn't, hedgehog." Knuckles drank a good amount of the milk he had before setting it down on the table. "Don't be so surprised, you should know that I can read your thoughts. Remember, I've been around since Pachacamac ruled the world?"

            With that, Knuckles sat down at the table. Hector just kept staring, unable to completely comprehend what was happening. With as much pretense as he could muster, he gave a half-hearted laugh.

            "I...don't understand." Hector looked at Knuckles as he adjusted his glasses. "I really don't. I've been in this crazy dream for almost two weeks now, and I just can't seem to wake up."

            "I hate to bust your bubble, hedgehog," Knuckles voice lowered. "But this is no dream. Everything you have seen is real. Just as everything that Sonic has seen is real."

            "Sonic? Real? Now I know you're crazy."

            "Am I?"

            The question came out so calmly, in such a rational manner, that Hector not only found it hard to answer, but found it scary that he was realizing that maybe Knuckles was right.

            "Um, look, I..." Hector found himself unable to say anything. 

            "Sit." Knuckles offered a chair. "Your friends won't be home, so I think this would be a good time to talk."

            "I..."

            "Sit." Hector suddenly found himself sitting in the chair, mainly because part of him begged for the preservation of his life. "We're going to have a talk about you."

            "Uh...ok..." _Oh, swell, I'm going to get grilled by a made-up character now. What a day._

            "What a day indeed." Knuckles' reply completely took Hector aback, even after what had been said before. The echidna got up and walked towards a cabinet, taking out a jelly jar as he did. Putting the jar on the table, he stood. "And, despite what you believe, Sonic is very much alive. He is in you."

            "Of course he is." Hector couldn't help but chuckle again. "I created him."

            "Hm..." Knuckles frowned. "Maybe I didn't clarify enough. He's..._in_ you. Right now. _In_ you. Understand?

            "I don't."

            "Figures." Knuckles shook his head. "You'll never save Sally like this, if you end up as this loser."

            "I am _not_ a loser!!!!!"

            With a strange clarity unbecoming of himself, Hector found himself standing, face to face, eye to eye, with Knuckles, fists clenched. Reproach, if not complete surprise, sprang into Knuckles' eyes before he gave a cough.

            "Ok, I get your point. Just sit down and let me finish before you bash my brains."

            "Fine." 

            Hector almost completely scared himself to the point of wetting his pants as he sprung up. But it was inexplicable to him that he could even have done it in the first place. _Wow. I think I scared him. That felt really good_!

            "How did you feel just now?"

            "Huh?" Hector looked back at Knuckles.

            "How you felt. When you just jumped up."

            "Well..." Hector decided to use the best term for it. "Different."

            "Different? I thought so. Like Sonic?"

            "I..." The grasp of his feelings began to dawn on him. "...Yeah."

            "There's a very simple answer to this. Certainly, you can't feel something unless you're real, right?"

            "Right-no." Hector quickly gasped. "You can't tell me...!!!"

            "Yes I can. I will. Your comic is real, Hector. Everyone in your comic is real. Acorn Kingdom, the Dark King, Group B is real. Sonic's real, just like Sally and I are real. And would you like to know how you know so much about us, Hector?"

            "Ummm..." Hector was flabbergasted. "I...I...I..."

            "Of course you do." Knuckles nodded. "Because Sonic let you find out. Just as you let Sonic know about you, which is why I know so much about you. Both of you have become almost like two halves of a whole. Soon, you will truly be one."

            "Huh?" The clarity of a moment ago was beginning to leave Hector. "Howzat?"

            "You and Sonic. Somehow, in some way, you and Sonic the Hedgehog slowly acknowledged one another's existence. Then, as the years began to pass, both of your bodies began to...well, there's no better term than that they began to meld together."

            "So, what you're saying is that I'm turning into Sonic?" _This is getting more weird all of the time. Way past cool...wait, why I am thinking that?_

            "In a matter of speaking. Something like this really doesn't happen everyday, so it's pretty much almost impossible to explain in terms other than layman's." Knuckles  Unfortunately, the toll on both of your bodies has started to become apparent."

            "Toll?"

            "It's gotten to where you both are so in tune with each other physically, spiritually, mentally, even chronologically, that your bodies have started to act as if there was only one of you. Haven't you noticed?" Knuckles turned towards the window.  "Maybe, at first, it was only mentally in your thoughts that Sonic began to emerge in you, and you maybe attributed it to just growing older, like with your opinion of your mom's cooking. Recently, though, with our exodus to your city you've started to change drastically. You can't deny that you've started to eat chili dogs, for one thing. No, don't say anything, because you _know_ you used to never be able to stand near chili without throwing up. And...not to make you feel uncomfortable...when have you been able to lose almost twenty pounds within the time span of a week? Answer me that."

            As Hector started to protest, he stopped to consider what Knuckles has just said. _It just sounds too crazy. Yet...he's right. Like today, I didn't turn green around the chili. And I did lose a lot of weight ever since my meeting with Sal...er, Sally...._

            "Here's the main clincher, though. When you daydream of Sonic, you stop to think of him. You are unable to do anything else but watch as his life unfolds. The same goes for him now as well. When you are not daydreaming, he must watch your life as it unfolds, only able to become his own person when you are thinking of him."

            "How, though?" It was still somewhat vague to him. "How do I know that what you're saying is true? That when I daydream, Sonic can exist, and when Sonic exists I am incapacitated?".

            "What about when Sally slapped you? Is that of any meaning?"

            "Sal." The more Hector thought about both what Knuckles was saying, the more it seemed real. "That's right. She yelled at me for chaining Sonic. I...guess I didn't understand it two hours ago, but I do now."

            "You didn't know what you know two hours ago." Knuckles couldn't help chuckling for a moment. After that moment, his face became serious. "But here is something else you ought to know as well, and I don't know how you'll take it, so just listen until I finish."

            Hector nodded as Knuckles said this. _This is all so strange. What's even stranger is that I'm willing to believe him. Yet what he's saying seems so right. Ever since that day in calculus..._

            "You and Sonic will probably become one mind, one body soon." Knuckles turned back to Hector. "When that happens, when Sonic no longer comes when you daydream, then you both'll have a decision. You'll have to Realize."

            "Realize?"

            "A term for us echidnas. It means that one of you must relinquish the freedom of self completely and surrender to the other. It was an old term for what you would call slavery. But in your case," Knuckles drew a breath, "it means that one of you must surrender your life, yourself, in order for the both of you to live. It's like mental nirvana. One of the two of you must die."

            "What...?!" Hector couldn't believe his ears. As what he said sunk in, he sprung up. "Ok!!! I believed you up until now. Now I'm sure you're crazy!! How can we be in the same body with one of us dead, if there is such a thing as two living things sharing a body?!? And why would either of us, if what you're saying is true, want to even consider killing off another person is beyond me!!!"

            "But you have to," Knuckles objected. "It's the only way to save yourself, or Sonic, and Sally!!"

            "No, no, no!!!! No." Hector walked towards the front door and opened it. "I want you out."

            "What?!?" Knuckles couldn't believe his ears. 

            "Now I see what you really are. You are nothing more than a crazy person pretending to be someone from an imaginary - yes, _imaginary_ - world!! And I have no need to go insane over things that aren't real. So leave!!"

            "I see it now." Knuckles' eyes flashed with anger. "I thought you would understand. You, of all people, Hector! You've been the object of ridicule all of your life. You swore that you would make a difference, that you would be someone. But how can you be someone if you aren't willing to see past your nose!!"

            "Out!!!!!!!"

            "Fine. Suit yourself. Have a nice life." Knuckles grabbed his hat and suit. "I hope you're happy with your decision."

            Without another word, Knuckles angrily exited the house, slamming the door behind him. With just as much anger, Hector picked up the jar of jelly and wrang it in his hands.

            _That crazy...He's so crazy....I can't believe that I even believed him for a moment!!_

            **POP!!!!!!!!!!**

            A new sound came from Hector's left hand without warning. He looked down to see what it had been, and to his horror the top of the jelly jar was in his hand. 

            _I...opened the jelly jar..._

            Two voices suddenly arose outside, one being Knuckles', the other's being a surprised Reese's. Hector blankly stared at the jelly top in his hand as he heard the invisible Spyder screech away from his house.

            _Oh my God..._ After a moment, the realization of what he did hit him like a ton of bricks. _He was right. He's still right_.

            With an angry growl, Hector grabbed his head and slouched into the kitchen chair, not caring that he just threw the open jar of jelly all over the kitchen floor. Outside, he could hear Mina's squealing as she got out of her car.

            "Heck!!!!" Mina bounced in. "We're hoooome!!!!!"

            As Geoffrey walked into the dining room, he brought out a wrapped parcel.

            "Hey there, Hector." Geoffrey looked a little amused as he spotted the opened jelly jar. "You mum helped you with that?"

            "Sure." _I am stupid. I am stupid. I am stupid._

            "Hector!" Hector's mother gasped as she spotted the half drunken milk glass. "You know not to waste things!!! Put the jelly and the milk back where they belong this instant!!!"

            "Yes, mother." _My forehead says 'Dunce'. My forehead says 'Dunce'._

            As he put them away, and as the table was set for dinner, Geoffrey approached Hector with the parcel in his hand.

            "I say, why don't you open this?"

            "Why should I?"

            "Heh. It's a wedding present, just for you."

            "For me?" _I'm not to sure I should be opening this..._

            "Of course." Geoffrey nodded. "Go on, take it."

            Without a second thought, Hector took the present and opened it. All at once, white powder sprayed all over him, getting all over the place. Hector rolled his eyes (because his glasses were completely sprayed over with the powder and no one could see his eyes) as he quietly threw the box aside and marched upstairs.

            "Hahahahaha!!!!!" He could hear Mina laugh. "That was sooo funny!!!!!"

-------------

            The invisible Spyder screeched to a halt in front of a large mansion, making tire tracks as it did. With a grim look, Reese stripped his disguise off inside the car. In the back, Knuckles silently looked out of the window.

            "Knuckles." Reese threw his suit into the back. He wore nothing more than a belt and large black boots. "You sure you're not going to try to talk to him again?"

            "I have no need to talk to him again." Knuckles' reply was blunt. "If that's the way he sees it, then let him see it that way."

            "Still..."

            "I've said my goodbyes, and that's it." Knuckles opened the passenger door. "He holds Sonic's life under lock and key, if he so wishes to do that. It's out of our hands."

            "Ok, then..."

            With that, the two left the car, Reese holding a small gas bomb. Knuckles slowly scanned the gate. Several lights spontaneously went on inside the mansion.

            "No need for us to hide anymore..."

            The two quickly threw the gates open, and they were met by several smocked men. Knuckles quickly dispatched most of them, though three were still around.

            "You're pretty annoying," Knuckles commented as he smacked two of the remaining men. "Don't you know you're dealing with an immortal?"

            "Hey!" Another one started to rush Knuckles. "I wouldn't do that to Knuckles if I was you."

            With that, Reese quickly lashed his tongue out, tripping the remaining guard. Knuckles gave a thumbs up as they proceeded to dismantle the cameras on the gates.

            _We could use your help, Hector,_ Knukcles thought as Reese finished bugging the cameras. _I hope you're still happy with your decision..._

            With that, the two remaining Freedom Fighters broke into the house.


	7. 7

The Realization of Hector Hedgehog

The Story of the Secret Life

Ch. 7

They're Coming to Take Me Away...

            Hector silently threw water at his face as he stooped over the basin to wash off the powder. It felt so cool, and so refreshing, especially after the day he had.

            _"The souls of yourself and Sonic have become so in tune with one another, that you both now must share that body."_

            _I can't believe it. I still can't believe what I did._

_            "One of you must willingly give up your freedom of being if you're to ever survive!"_

_            "Now I know you're crazy!!" Hector threw open the front door. "Leave!"_

_            I was such a jerk to him._ Hector wiped his eye as he searched for his glasses. _And now its all my fault if something happens to them. And...I just have the bad feeling something_ has _happened already..._

            "Hector?"

            "Yes, mother."

            "I hope you can forgive Geoffrey." Hector's mother walked into the bathroom. "He just likes to be a consumate jokester. You did miss a lovely dinner, though."

            "Mother..." Hector paused. "Are...you happy?"

            "What do you mean? Of course I am."

            "No no." Hector shook his head as he dried his face off. "I mean, are you happy with _me_?"

            "With you? Of course I am. You're getting married. You have a wonderful career when most people your age are still in high school."

            "Mother..." Hector quietly braced himself. "I sometimes don't think you are."

            "What in...why do you think that?" _What has gotten into him lately?_

            "Well...because...I just don't feel like I can trust you."

            "Trust me?!?!" Hector's mother became indignant. "How could you say that to your own mother!! The one who raised you when you didn't have a father!"

            "Mom!!!" _That was not quite what I was trying to get at_. "Mother, that's not what I meant."

            Hector's mother stared at him. Her mouth slightly dropped. Without warning she took Hector's chin and thrust it to her face.

            "Mom?!"

            "Hector..." Hector's mother studied Hector's face, looking at it as if she were looking at a five-headed monster. "I thought..."

            "Thought what?"

            "....." Her eyes grew wide. "What...in God's name has happened to you?!?"

            Hector's mother turned his face to the bathroom mirror. Hector stared at his reflection for a moment as his mother released her grip, going in closer to examine. His emerald green eyes stared right back at him.

            _My eyes...they're not brown anymore..._ Comprehension dawned. _Oh my God. Knuckles was right. I am an IDIOT!!!!!!_

            "What's going on, Hector?!" His mother's tone was frightened and angered, though fright overtook the anger. "Why are your eyes green?! What happened to you?!" She stepped back. "Oh, God, you're not even my son, are you?!"

            "Mom..."

            "No! No! Hector never called me 'mom'." It was obvious that his mother was well on her way to a nervous breakdown. "I...I..."

            "Mom!!" 

            Hector quickly grabbed his mother before she took off to call the police. With a strength that was clearly not his own, he hoisted his mother onto his arms, grabbed his glasses with his teeth and calmly carried her into his room, plopping her down on the chair next to his desk. He closed the door, locked it, and stood in front of it.

            "I guess it's no use hiding it from you, then..."

            "That you're not my son. Help!! Help!! Police!!!!

            "Mom, no one can hear you." Hector put his glasses on. "The windows aren't open." 

            "Then I'll go open them!!"

            "You can't."

            "_And why not!!!_"

            "Because they weren't designed to open. Now calm down!!"

            "No!! I can't! You've killed my son!!"

            "No I haven't. I_ am_ your son."

            "Then what's happened to you?!?!?"

            "First things first." 

            Hector calmly walked over to his closet, took out a box, and walked back, not once taking his eyes off his mother. He then walked over to the desk with the box and dropped it there. Hector's mother read the side of the box, which said "SONIC" in black paint.

            "What..."

            "I've got to show you." Hector looked at his mother. "First, I've got to let you see these. Then I will explain."

--------------

            _"So..." Simon turned to Parker. "The intruders tried to free the princess?"_

_            "That's right sir." _And they almost did, but I won't get into that. _"However, we were able to stop them. The princess had been able to unbind herself without anyone's knowledge, and subd-"_

_            "That's all I need to know about that," Simon interrupted. "But tell me..._was he _with them?"_

            _"No sir." Parker shook his head. "He was nowhere to be found."_

_            "Queer, very queer." Simon nodded. "I suppose that we should find him and get rid of him."_

_            "I'll call for-"_

_            "That won't be necessary." Simon cut Parker off before he could volunteer. "I shall do something, formulate my own plan, in my own time."_

_            "Well...there is something else, sir."_

_            "What is it?"_

_            "We did attempt to locate the chip in the office building again last night, but we were chased away by the police." This was the bad news Parker didn't want to tell Simon. "The police might be onto us."_

_            "Rubbish! This country hasn't got the brain cells to even scratch the surface of Group B." Simon lit up a cigar. "Just leave it all to me. I will destroy that hedgehog and get the chip!"/_i

-------------

            Hector didn't take the train to work the next day. He didn't even take a taxi. He woke up at 4:30, got dressed and walked all the way to work. His mind was still reeling from his actions last night, as well as everything that had happened the day before.

            "Mom...I'm sorry..."

            _"Don't you see, mom?!" Hector showed his mother the pictures from his comic. "I can't explain it, but I'm turning into Sonic, the creature in my comics! Only he isn't just a comic book character, he's real!!"_

_            "No!!! NO!!!!!" Hector's mother jumped up reproachfully. "I will not sit and think for one minute that this craziness is true!"_

_            "Mom, that's what I thought. But it's true!!"_

_            "Stop it!! Stop it!!!!!" Hector's mother ran to the door. "Stop this nonsense now!! I don't ever want to hear such craziness ever again!!!! I'm leaving!!!!!!!!"_

            Without speaking, Hector slowly opened the door. Hysterical, his mother ran out of the room.

            With a sigh, Hector took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. _I don't know if it's just me, but my head hurts, right in between my eyes. My eyes hurt too…_

            "Well, well!!!!"

            From behind Hector came a car, beeping. In the driver's seat was Geoffrey, and in the passenger's seat was Kintobar.

            "Incompetence!!" Kintobar angrily roared. "Those mechanics don't know what they're talking about!!!"

            "Heck, old boy!" Geoffrey smiled. "I suppose you enjoyed my present last night."

            "Oh, yeah, I loved it," Hector replied sarcastically.

            "Time's wasting. Hop on in and we'll take you to work."

            Hector turned his head away from them. As he did, his eye caught a glimpse of what was behind him. 

            "Heck?!? You call Hedgehog _Heck_?!" Kintobar laughed. "Now that's hilarious!!!"

            Hector stared at the brick wall behind him. An intricate gate also stood next to him. _This…looks familiar…_

"Come on, Heck, what are you waiting for?"

Something in Hector's brain snapped. He turned to look at Geoffrey.

"Nothing."

The look that Hector gave him startled him somewhat, but it was nothing compared to what he did next. Without warning, Hector ran over to the gate and threw himself at them. 

            "HECK!!!!!!" Geoffrey screamed as he tried to unfasten his seatbelt. "WHAT ARE YOU-STOOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

            The gates gave way on the third try. Hector ran into the garden, running as fast as he could, however slow that running was.

            _I_ _know this place._ Hector's thoughts came from an unexplainable origin. Concentrating on the scenes he saw in his mind - running from a cellar, falling into a garden - he pressed on. _They're here. I've got to save them. I_ will _save them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_

            "HECK!!!!!!!!" Geoffrey jumped out of the car to follow. "LOOK OUT!!!! STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

**_WAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_**

            Hector's triumphant thoughts were violently yanked from him as he smashed into a wall. His eyes crossed, he fell flat on his back unconscious.

            "IDIOT!!!!!" Geoffrey pulled at his hair as he jumped down. "IDIOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

            "What in God's name is this all about?!?!?!?!?" Kintobar huffed as he stooped down. "I should fire this fool for sure!!! Trespassing on other's properties…"

            "Excuse me."

            The two turned around to see a black-smocked dalmation with sunglasses on.

------------------

            "So he simply jumped into my tulips and ran into the wall." The ferret turned to face the dalmation. "How utterly odd."

            "Yes." The dalmation resisted the urge to simply kill the unconscious boy on the sofa. _Wouldn't want his friends to arrest us._

            "Y-you'll have to forgive him!!!" Kintobar jumped up and plopped himself on the desk. "He's a little out of it right now, getting married and such. I…do apologize, mister…?"

            "Necron. Simon Necron."

            "Right. Riight!!!" Kintobar laughed. "I…see that he also damaged your gardens outside.

            "Yes, yes, I have been cultivating those tulips for quite some time." _And once again your friend has somehow managed to trample through them. Good job, fatty_.

            "Nnnngh…"

            Hector's eyes slowly opened. He looked at his surrounding and gasped when his eyes laid on Simon's.

            "YOU!!!!!!!!!"

            "Yes, me." Simon looked amused. 

            "BASTARD!!!!"

            Hector jumped up to try to get at Simon. However, Geoffrey's arms beat Hector's feet, and Hector was yanked back.

            "Back!! Back!!!" Geoffrey found a surprising struggle to keep Hector off of Simon. "What is your problem, hedgehog!!!"

            "Geoffrey!!!" Hector broke away. "You've got to listen. This man is a homicidal maniac!"

"What!?!" Geoffrey laughed. "Where did you get that idea from?!"

"You don't understand!" Hector turned and pointed to Simon. "This man is the leader of a special foreign terrorist group who wants to destroy the rebellion faction in his country with the help of a fascist ruler by obtaining a special chip!!"

"Rebellion? Chip?" Simon gave a little ha-ha laugh. "My boy, that bump on your head must have addled your brain slightly. I have no comprehension of what you are saying."

"Yes you DO!!!" Hector turned to Kintobar. "There is a very beautiful woman being held captive here!! A princess!! You've got to believe me!!"

"Rubbish!!" Kintobar glared. "This sounds an awful lot like your little comic, you know, Hedgehog!!"

_Comic?_ Parker's ears perked up slightly. I_Hm…if he has a comic that can chrionicle who we are…_

"It's not in the comic, It's real, it's all real!!!"

"HEDGEHOG!!!" Kintobar roared. "How dare you!! This man offered to take you in and help you with your injury which, I might add, is _your_ fault. What do you do?!? You sputter some comic plot in order to get rid of the blame!!!!!" He turned to Simon, eyes apologetic. "I promise to pay every single cent to compensate what my employee has done."

"You don't owe him anything, Kintobar!!!" Hector felt his anger rise.

"Shut up!!" Geoffrey hissed. "Haven't you caused enough trouble?!"

"On the contrary, Mr. Kintobar." An idea formed in Simon's head. "Tulips can be replaced easily. Mental health is far more precocious."

"Huh?!" Hector's anger gave way to confusion _What…_

"I think that your friend is quite stressed out." _This is going to be beautiful. So beautiful._ "It's obviously done something to his brain. May I suggest…a psychoanalysis?"

"WHAT?!?!?!" Hector's anger gave way to utter shock and fight. "B-b-b-b-b-but I'm not crazy!!!!"

"You may think you are, my young friend," Simon smiled. "But in truth, you are in great danger of losing your mind completely."

"Hmmm…" Kintobar thought aloud. "The boy has been acting strange lately…"

"And that could be a sign of terrible things." Simon finished. "Therefore, I believe sending him to a psychiatrist is in order."

"WHAT?!?!?!?!" _No, no no!!! I'm not crazy!!!!_ "But everything I have said is _true!!_ Why can't you see that!!?!?!?!?!?!"

"Yes, I am quite concerned." Simon relished in his plan. "In fact, I shall pay for the visit. It will be of no cost to you if you accept, my friend." _Heh heh. How wonderful!!!_

"Well…" Kintobar's face lit up. "Why, thank you!! I'll take it!!!"

"NO!!!!!!!!!!!!" Hector felt his world crumbling. "Don't listen to him!!!"

"We'd need his mother's permission, of course. She'll have to present when we register him." Everyone was ignoring him. "Geoffrey, you have her number, correct?" 

            "Naturally." Geoffrey gave Hector a smile as he led Kintobar into another room. "The number is 496…"

            "Wait!!!!" Hector, realizing that his battle was lost, tried once more to get their attention. "Hold on…"

            As Hector left to protest, Simon quietly took out a phone from his desk. He nodded to Porter, who promptly walked out of the room. He dialed a number and quietly waited for several moments before someone picked up.

            "Yes, I have the address where the package can be sent…"

----------------

            "Well, it's about time, too" Geoffrey turned to Hector's mother. "No offense, Mrs. Irme, but your son _has_ been acting strange."

            Hector's mother didn't reply. She simply stared at Hector, whose head was buried into the palms of his hands. With a shrug, Geoffrey went back to his magazine.

            _No. No. No. No. No. No. No._ Hector's eyes were bloodshot through his fingers. _This is not happening. I cannot believe that this is happening. God only knows if Knuckles or Sally is even alive anymore…I hate this. I really do. No matter how hard I try, I can't get an idea of where they are…_

            "Hedgehog?" The receptionist nodded. "The doctor will see you now."

            _I'm going to die. I'm going to be committed. I…am…I…Ugh!!!!!!!!!_

            Hector tried to quietly vanquish thoughts of the straitjacket as he was prodded through some double doors into the office of the psychiatrist.

            "Hello, young man." An ugly old man sat behind the desk. "You must be Hector."

------------

            "Well, if you ask me," Kintobar commented as he walked out, "Some good mental help is going to be of some good use in the long run. No more silliness!!"

            "Maybe he'll start concentrating on his job, and not on some crazy stories. A man who's getting married in two days' time shouldn't be like that." Geoffrey waved to Hector's mother. "See you at dinner tonight, Ms. Irme!!"

            "Yes, I shall see you."

            As the car drove off, Hector's mother quietly sat on the steps of the psychiatrist's office and cried.

-------------

            "It did go well." Hector poked at his soup. "He's a nice guy."

            "That's so good that you're doing something for your health, Heck!!" Mina slurped her soup. "Oh, Ms. Irme, this soup is delicious!!"

            "Thank you, Mina." _This tastes like wood. Did I not put enough cloves in??_

`           "Well," Geoffrey looked at Mina. "You _do_ realize that this psychiatrist insisted upon a visit every other day for the next two weeks."

            "Oh!!!" Mina gasped. "But then that means he has an appointment on our wedding day!!!!!"

            "Well, yes," Hector's mother laughed, or at least gave a good attempt to. "But they'll schedule it early so that he doesn't have to worry about missing the wedding. Don't worry, he'll have time to get his tuxedo on."

            "Speaking of weddings," Mina's mother looked at her daughter. "Unfortunately, this will be Mina's last dinner over here until after the wedding."

            "Ooooh, mother!!!"

            "It's a sin for your husband to see you after tonight," Mina's mother insisted. "Do you really want to put your marriage into Lucifer's hands??"

            "That would be a shame, Ms. Gertrude." _Me and Mina, six six six. Sounds like a fitting idea to me!_ "I mean, I know I'm the groom and all-"

            "Of _course_ you have a right to be concerned!" Mina's mother looked at Hector's mother. " We really do have to go. It was a _beautiful_ soup you made us."

            "Thank you."

            "See you around, Heck." Geoffrey gave a little smirk. "Now, you're sure you don't want me to change the pink tux order to include a straitjacket?"

            "Go, go, _go,_ Geoffrey!!!" Hector's mother scolded. "Don't play my son like that."

            "O…ok." 

After a few seconds of surprised silence, Geoffrey, Mina and Mina's mother left the house. Hector's mother looked at him and slouched down into a chair. Hector, rubbing his head at the temple, sat down across from her.

"You still don't believe me, do you?"

"What I believe is my choice…" Hector's mother looked away from him. "To think that you're going insane, I don't wish to believe that!"

"Mom…" Hector rubbed his eyes. _Ugh. My head. It's been worse since I went into that doctor's office._ "Look, you know I wouldn't have said anything about it…if I didn't think it was really happening. Please, mom."

Hector's mother replied by getting up and walking out of the room. Hector's hands clenched as he heard her bedroom door slam.

_This has got to stop. My mom's just faking her happiness._ Hector looked out the window. _And my friends are in danger…_

            "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

            The first reaction of Hector's was to jump under the couch and hide. For approximately ten seconds, that is precisely what he did. However, after regrouping his courage, he bolted into his mom's room, where she, dressed only in her panties, was throwing makeup bottles out of her window.

            "That will teach you to look into my window, you perverted ruffians!!!!!" She screamed.

            As Hector's mother took aim again, Hector ran in front of her to look out the window. In the distance, he could see a shadow, with a long thin tail, running down the street. In the figure's hand was a familiar object, though it was too small for him to see.

            "Get out of the way!!!" A mirror compact hit Hector in the shoulder. His mother, seething with rage attempted to throw him out of the way to no avail. "Get out and let me handle them, or I swear I'll call the cops on you!!"

            "Mom!!!!"

            "Who was that…Who?!?!" Hector's mother this time picked up a glass bottle of perfume and aimed it at him. "One of those comic book characters of yours?!? A spy?!? TELL ME!!!!! OR I'LL SMASH YOUR FACE IN!!!!"

            "MOM!!!!!!!!!!!!"

            The two stared at each other, braced, as the cold wind blew in. Hector's mother was ready to throw glass at him, and Hector was ready to duck. After a few moments, Hector's mother finally dropped the bottle and crumbled to the floor, crying.

            "Oh, God, oh God…" She bawled and sniffed as she shivered from the wind. "Why did this happen to me?!? All I wanted was...a child…whom I could…send off…to be a lawyer…!!!!! Now…now…OHOHOHOHOHOOHOHOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!…I have a child who's….turning into….a piece of paper!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

            Hector, looking down at his mother, shook his head sadly. He closed the windows and took a blanket off of her bed, covering her with it. This time, she didn't refuse.

--------------

            The doctor's office loomed in front of Hector as he walked to it. With a shudder, he looked down to the ground, adjusting his glasses as he did. The ground was slightly hazy though them.

            _Good Lord!!_ Hector took off his glasses in disgust. After a few minutes, his eyes and head felt much better. _This is getting annoying. I really should talk to someone about this…_

            He paused as he thought that, and he rubbed his chin.

            _Maybe all that hitting Knuckles did to me is starting to take its toll,_ he thought as he finally entered the waiting room. _Then again, my sight doesn't seem to be getting worse. I just can't wear my glasses or it hurts my head._

            "The doctor will see you now, Mr. Hedgehog." The receptionist looked at him. "You know, you look an awful lot like a cartoon character."

            "Really?" _Thanks for reminding me. _

            "Oh yes." The receptionist laughed. "Of course, he doesn't wear what we wear, but even so, you could pass for him."

            "Thanks." _Now I'm not sure if I'm supposed to curse Sonic's existence or my existence. Once again, thanks for reminding me._

            As Hector walked through the double doors, he absentmindedly checked his pockets and found that his wallet was nowhere to be seen.

            _Dammit!!! I left it at home!!! Now how will I pay…_

            "Good morning, Hector!!!" The old man smiled as he looked up from his book. "So, today is your wedding day. Many congratulations."

            "Thank you."

            "I was wondering," the old man commented as he closed both sets of doors, "whether or not I could take the liberty of testing a new type of psychotherapy out on you."

            "Uh, what do you mean?" Hector rubbed his head.

            "Well, well, it is not really new, but there have been great advances made in using it for mental patients." The old man smiled again. "Would you like me to use it on you?"

            "Ok, I guess." 

_Just as long as it doesn't involve you hacking my limbs off, that's perfectly all right,_ Hector thought as he lay down on the couch. _Or disemboweling me. Wouldn't want to mess up your office, buddy._

"Very well." The old man took out a watch. "Now, just look at the watch…as it swings…"

"Hypnotism?" Hector couldn't help but chuckle as his eyes followed. "I've seen it done before, Doc, and it doesn't work."

"On the contrary," The watch slowly went back and forth, "I have already done it on several patients. I believe it is the perfect tool…"

Indeed, several minutes began to pass, and Hector's eyelids felt heavy. He tried to force his eyelids to keep open, but the watch bored into him.

Hmmm…this is relaxing…at least my head doesn't hurt… 

_Hector!!! Don't give in!!!!!_

_Sonic…?!?_

The revelation that Sonic had spontaneously reappeared in his subconscious after a whole week of not being there came too late for Hector. He was out cold on the couch.

"Getting…sleepy….good." The old man gave a chuckle. "Just stay right there, my boy…"

With quick, quiet maneuvering, the old man quickly closed all of the shutters and quietly opened the closet door, producing a very large box with holes in it. He then maneuvered towards the desk and took out a box, placing it on the table, before returning to Hector.

"I don't know if you should know this, boy," The old man scratched his neck. "But this will turn out to be a very bad decision for you."

With that, the old man cut open a small bit of his neck and ripped it off, revealing fur. The old man calmly peeled off the rest of his skin, revealing that he was in fact a cat. Scratching the rest of the mask off, he gave the box a small kick. 

Some muffled sounds came from the box. With a quick motion of his foot, the cat kicked the box open. In it were two figures, wrapped up in tight ropes with gauze in their mouth.

"At least you two are still alive to watch." Ingo snickered. "Boss wants to make this look as legit as possible. There'll be no more mess-ups this time, not with this master of hypnosis. Now," he coughed, using his fake accent, "Hector, you shall obey me and only me. These are my instructions. First, to test your willingness, open your eyes and bark once, like a cocker spaniel."

"Arooooo!!"

To the letter, Hector opened his eyes, which were clouded with sleep, and his mouth, letting out a little dog yelp. _Ha!_ Ingo folded his arms. _Always a good sign._

"Now, bark like a dying cocker spaniel."

"Aaaaaaaaarrrrrrooooooooooooooooooooooooo…" It was a pitiful death that the dog was going through.

"Perfect." Ingo gave a clap. "Now, when you hear me clap once, you shall come over to this table," at this he took out a knife and placed it on the table, "and you will take this knife. When I clap twice, you shall walk over to this box. Three times, and you will," at this he went over to the box and looked over Reese before making a decision, "plunge the knife as hard as you can into the large green figure. Four times, you shall do the same with the red figure." Ingo closed his eyes at the thought. "Then, when I snap one hand, you shall return to the chair, and tell me where you've hidden the chip.. When I snap with two hands, you will awaken. Nod if you understand."

The hedgehog nodded. Quick as lightning, Ingo clapped, and Hector went obediently and picked up the knife. Knuckles, who had wiggled around to watch what was going on, as Reese was unconscious, watched in horror as Hector obeyed the two claps.

_No!!!!!!!! Stop!!!!!!!_

"M-mmmmmmph!!!!!!!!" 

Knuckles tried to scream through to gauze, but found that his voice was impaired. Giving another chuckle, Ingo took out his camera and took a picture of the image before him. _The hedgehog, the enemy who has cost us so much, will finally get a taste of his own medicine. He shall know the feeling of losing his friends._

"It's no use, echidna." Hector hovered over the box, the knife ready for use. "You lose."


	8. 8

The Realization of Hector Hedgehog

The Story of the Secret Life

Ch. 8

The Realization of Hector Hedgehog 

            "MMMMMMPH!!!!!!"

            Knuckles struggled as hard as he could, but he was unable to budge the ropes. Hector, his eyes clouded, had the knife up in the air.

            "Now."

            Ingo clapped three times. The knife went down on Reese, slicing into his side. Reese's eyes went wide as Hector kept stabbing, and Ingo watched and laughed as the iguana finally lay still. 

            "Mmmmph!! MMMMMMMMMMMMPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Knuckles' eyes grew wide with terror when he saw Reese.

            "And you're next, echidna." Ingo smiled. "Your turn."

            Four claps, and Hector's knife came flying at Knuckles. At the last minute, Knuckles turned himself over and thrust his feet down as hard as he could. The propulsion resulted in the knife plunging into Knuckles' leg.

            _Sonic!!!!_ Knuckles thought frantically. _Hector!! Whoever might be in that body!!! Stop!!!!!!!!!!!!_

-------------

            _It was incredibly strange, and Ingo didn't even expect it. The door, which had been closed, suddenly burst open so hard that on door actually came off of its hinges and smashed into the wall. _

_            "It can't be..."_

_            "What...." An older female figure stood in the dust of the destruction. "Are you doing...TO MY SON?!?!?!?!?"_

            Fear sprang into Ingo's eyes, and he attempted to escape, only to have a purse thrown at his head, knocking him to the floor. He felt a heel on his back as soon as he was down.

-------------------

            "MMMMMPH!!!!" Knuckles couldn't believe it either. Hector's knife came out of his knee.

            "You ruffian!!!" Hector's mother grabbed Ingo's ear and pulled him up. "Lecherous pervert!! I come here to give my son his wallet and I stand in front of the man who was looking into my room!!! Peeping tom!!!!!"

            "Madam..."

            "Don't lie to me!!!!!!!!!!"

            "MMMMMPH!!!!!!"

            "What…?!"

            Hector's mother turned to see her son with the knife. With an angry shout, she whacked him hard across the face, throwing him to the ground. Then she turned back to Ingo, who threw up his hands to protect himself.

            "Sexual ingrate…!!!"

            "Hnnnn…?"

            Hector mind jolted from the trance, and he looked over to see the knife within his reach. He looked at his hand, which was covered with some blood, and he looked over to see Knuckles and Reese.

            _Oh my God…What happened? I…I didn't…did I?_

            "Mmmph!!" Knuckles turned over and wriggled his hands. "Mmmmph!"

            "Knuckles!!" Hector quickly jumped on the box and untied the echidna. "What happened?! Where's that doctor!"

            "You idiut!!" Knuckles slurred. "That wuzzn a docter, that wuz Groop B!"

            "Knuckles? What happened to you?!?"

            "Reeeze and I were giben muzzle relagzers when we gut capshurrrd. Dunno whurr Sal is…" Knuckles muttered. "Then you come and try killing uzz cuz yur hibnotized. That wuz speshil."

            "I didn't…oh no." Hector saw the mark on Knuckles leg, as well as Reese's body. "I am so-"

            "WORM!!!!!!!!!"

            With a final shriek, Hector's mother knocked Ingo out with a resounding blow. She turned over to Hector and huffed as she dropped down.

            "Oh, good Lord!!" she screeched. "These boys are hurt!! What happened to you, Hector? Did that man do something to you?!"

            "Hibnotized." Knuckles mumbled.

            "What is all of this?!?!?" Hector's mother grabbed Hector's face. "Why is this happening? Why?! WHY?!?!" She got back up and rubbed her face. "Why do you have to be like this? Please, Hector!! Why can't you turn back to normal…" The frantic look on her face passed, and she plopped down onto the couch, her face weary. "Oh, God, I'm so sorry! I know…I know you can't turn back, can you? Oh, but I only faked it for your fiancee, and Geoffrey, and Gertrude and your boss. I faked it for myself. But no matter how I look at it, I've lost my son, haven't I? After all I put up with, all I had to fake and take, my son will never be the same…"

            Hector looked down, pondering for a moment. _Why can't I…? It would so much better that way…No. Wait. It wouldn't….._

            "Mom…"

            Hector stood back up and gave his mother a kiss on the forehead. In shock, his mother stared at him once more.

            "Call the police. Tell them to go to the address Knuckles tells you." Hector turned back to the echidna. "You understand?"

            "Yeaah. Dh rilagsers weaariing off."

            "Good. Get Reese help too." Hector opened the door to the lobby. Everyone in the room stared at him as he did. "There's something I have to do."

            He started to leave, but stopped to turn back to his mother.

            "Mom." He took the glasses off of his face and threw them at her. "I don't need them anymore. They hurt my eyes. I guess I should have told you that, too. I'll…see you."

            With that, he ran out of the room.

----------------

            Simon closed the suitcase on the desk. With a sigh, he took out a cigar and lit it.

            _It's a shame, really_. He gave a thought as he puff. _I really do wish, deep in my heart, that the boy survives, lest I be able to smash his face in myself_. 

            _"Sonic!! I got it!!!" Sally's voice echoed onto the spy radios. "Let's get out of here!!!"_

_We planned so carefully, so well, to keep that chip out of the rebel hands_. Smoke began to fill the room. _The viceroy's death, the ploy to lure the chip away, not even that stopped them. That chip holds the key to our survival. If the rebels cracked the code…_

A muffled sound came from his closet. Paying no mind, Simon continued his thoughts.

_For so many years, we had simply striven to rule the world. We had so much to offer. We still do. There is petty conflict between these backward countries. When the Dark King took steps to futurize the Acorn, after he took over, he found a way to stop the_ _pettiness and keep his power. The robot machine. Capable of neutralizing the feeble mind, and create a more perfect being. He was the first to subjugate himself, and is the only one who was able to withstand the power that the new machine body had over him…_

_"What is wrong with this machine?!?" The Dark King demanded. "I don't understand! I am robot, created from this machine, and minds of these miserable animals cannot withstand the power!!"_

_I suppose the 95% failure rate is disheartening._  Simon gave another sigh. _After all, metal and flesh would be the ultimate fusion. Unfortunately, most of our minds are unable to withstand the transformation process, and we would ultimately become slaves ourselves. However, we were able to create several perfect specimens like our master, myself included…_

He gave a chuckle as he let what remained of his cigar smolder in an ashtray. He looked out of the window.

_When we succeed in destroying the Freedom Fighters, I shall request the transformation of my followers in celebration. Then, nothing will stop us from taking Acorn…and the world_.

The muffled sound came back, slightly weaker, before finally dying out.

I should like to have seen that hedgehog when he found himself wanted for murder. A pity, though, that such a boy has to be wasted. But we must. There is just something about him, something I can't quite figure, but it is definitely something to do with that annoying Sonic…

----------------

            Hector looked up at the gate once more as he approached it. His feet slightly slowed as he got nearer.

            _I dunno…I'm not sure if…Oh, come on!!_ He shook his head. _I have to save Sal! It's my duty now. I mean, now that I'm in too deep, it is. But…it feels like I've always been in deep with this conflict…_

            _Hector…_A familiar voice suddenly echoed through his head. _C'mon. Stop fighting with me._

            Hector stopped dead in his tracks, several inches from the gates.

            _Sonic…?!?       _

_            Yeah. It's me. I guess you know then._

_            Know what?_

_            I've melded with you. I'm no longer my own man. I'm now a part of you. Didn't Knux say something bout it?_

            _Oh yeah…_

_            Hector…before I go, I want to ask a favor._

_            Huh? Before you go?!_ Hector was confused.

            _You obviously have a selective memory. I've seen your life. You have a good life - a family, a job, a life, you know. I'm kind of jealous of you. I've decided what I want._

_            What?!?_

_            I don't want my life to intrude with yours. I'm going to kill myself now._

_            WHAT?!?!? Sonic!!!!! _Hector's mind reeled. _You can't!! Your girlfriend's in there!!_

_            Hector…I no longer have my own body. You wouldn't understand!_ Sonic's voice was slightly angry. _ Ever since we somehow learned of each other's existence - however we might of, the Force or Fate or Bizarre Psychic Linkage Crap or whatever someone wants to call it - I've been slowly forced into your body. Maybe it was the Chaos Emeralds. Who knows? All I know is that I was never intended to live long, if becoming a resident of your body, only existent when you're drifting,  is what I've amounted to!_

            Hector's head went down. He didn't understand it either. But it certainly seemed Fate was not going to be kind to either of them.

            _I'm going now…_

_            No, please! There must be another way!_

_            You know what Knuckles said. One of us has to relinquish their identity and life for the other to live. Your body's gone through too much because of me. I won't allow it anymore. Good bye…Please tell Sal I'm sorry…Good bye._

            Sonic's voice suddenly flickered out of Hector's head, like a candle being snuffed out.

            _No…NO!!!!!!!!!! SONIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_ Hector held his head. _COME BAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_

            It was of no use. Hector was on his own.

-----------------

            The house was large and not very well lit. The window on the third floor was unlocked as well, and so Hector had no trouble getting in. Looking into one of the rooms, he found several bedrooms, all with clothing strewn around.

            _They're in a hurry…_ Hector shuddered. _They look as if they might even be gone._

            He ran downstairs into the main hall, and his heart stopped as the sound of a door closing filled his ears.

            "Ingo? You back already?"

            Hector's body froze at the sound of Parker's voice. The dalmation turned a corner and found himself face to face with the hedgehog.

            "Hey!!!!!!!!" Parker took out a knife and swiped at Hector. "You!!!"

            "Aie!!!" _That hurt. Must…..think….._ "Don't…kill me!!!"

            "Why not, freedom fighter?!?" Parker stood, his already bloodied knife ready.

            "Because…" Hector's hand was in his pocket. _Wait…I've got it!!_ "I've got a gun!!!" He took his hand and pointed it like a gun at the dog. "And…if you don't let me through…"

            "A….?" _Does this germ think I'm really dumb?! He must…_ "Oh, my!!!! I've got to get out of here!!!"

            Parker threw himself up the stairs with feigned fear. Hector looked on as he howled in pretended fright. _Good God!!!_ he thought. _Either I convinced him or he is a really bad actor._

            Suddenly, for no particular reason, Hector's hand shot out and grabbed Parker's neck, propelling Parker into a wall. Moaning, the dog fell unconscious.

            _Well, that was easy…I wonder if I did it cause of Sonic? But…yet he's-_

Hector's thoughts were interrupted by a loud alarm. Scrambling into the shadows, the hedgehog watched as twenty Group B members scrambled into the main hall and to the main door. Quietly tiptoeing behind their backs, Hector snuck into the nearest room.

_This is weird…_Hector found himself inside a large office. _This is the same office…Hello!_

A scratching sound from a closet caused Hector's ears to prick up. He quickly walked over and opened the door, gasping as he did.

"Sally?!"

"Nnnnngh…." Sally's face was completely red as he opened the door. "Sonic…."

"I'm…not Sonic." The words were hard to force out. "Oh my God, what have they done? Sticking you in a closet with no air…!"

"Help……" Sally mumbled as Hector proceeded to untie her. "The chip…"

"The chip…What about it, Sal?!"

"Yes, yes." Another voice suddenly permeated the room. "What about the chip?"

            Hector swerved around to face Simon, who took out another cigar and lit it. 

"You surprise me, boy." Simon gave a puff. "For a boy who can't fight and cannot even stand up to his own mother. I am surprised. But all the same, congratulations, Prince Charming. You have awoken Sleeping Beauty."

Without a word of warning, Hector's fist connected to Simon's face, causing the cigar to fly out of his mouth. Hector quickly took Sally's hand and dove into the main hall.

"Hector…"

"There's no time to waste!!" Hector looked around the hall at the various doors. "Ok…no way we can go through the front door."

"Hector….are you sure….." Sally looked at the hedgehog. "Are you sure you're not Sonic?"

Hector looked at Sally in surprise. His head bowed down for a moment.

"Yes. I'm sure of it."

"I…see." Sally looked confused.

"Let's get out of here before the police come." _This isn't right. I can't be Hector. Leaving Sally like this…it isn't right!_ "Knuckles called the police, so they should be here any minute."

            "Right-"

            "FREEZE!!!"

            The two were suddenly surrounded by several armed Group B operatives. Hector looked around for some sort of opening to run through, but found that there was none to be found.

            "Dammit!"         

            "A-HA!!!" Holding his head, Parker pushed his way through the crowd. "You think you're all that, huh? 

            With a hard flick of his wrist, Parker knocked Hector to the ground. With an angry yelp, Sally attempted to kick Parker in between his legs.

            "YaaaaaooooooOOOOOOOWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!" Sally screamed as she felt her foot smash into a metal cup.

            "The same goes for you princess!" Parker grabbed her arm. "I remember the _last_ time you attempted to do that."

            "Nrrgh….." Hector muttered. "That was funny…issue 14…."

            "Sonic?!?!"

            The butt of Parker's gun connected to Hector's face.

-------------------

            _"Yes, Interpol." The policeman rang into Knuckles' ears. "They gave us info about something that is exactly of your complaint. Several hundred of them have arrived in the city to handle-"_

_            "Then why don't you do something about it?!"_

_            "Just tell us the address, and we'll send our people there right away."         _

_            "I don't know if it will be that easy." Knuckles shook his head. "So I say you guys take caution when you approach the place."_

_            The echidna hung the phone up. He looked at Hector's mother, who was sitting on the stool, her head between her hands. He looked at Reese, who was nursing his arm with the paramedics._

_            "Could you excuse us, guys?"_

_            "Sure." One of the paramedics looked at Reese. "We're going to the bathroom."_

            _"Ok. Just as long as you don't put me in the hospital…"_

_            The paramedics left, and Knuckles looked back at Hector's mother._

_            "I'm sorry."_

_            "What? Why you?" Hector's mother looked at Knuckles with dead pupils. "He's not your son."_

_            "But he's my friend." Knuckles sat down next to her. "I know it's hard to understand. But it's all true."_

_            "Everything my son has written, it was of reality? And now, for some unknown reason, he is becoming that person which he has always written about?"_

_            "Miss." Knuckles looked at Hector's mother. "I've thought about it, and I don't think the reason is completely unknown. I had the feeling, when I met Hector, that I knew why all of this was happening."_

_            "Why?"_

            _"I think Hector_ wanted_ it to happen." Knuckles sighed. "Sonic kind of knew about your son in the way that Hector knew about him. And Sonic was jealous of how stable Hector's life was. Just as Hector is jealous about how Sonic's life is not stable. And…I guess that's how Sonic slowly started to meld into Hector. Because he wanted that stability."_

            _"But at what cost is that stability, Knuckles?" Hector's mother shook her head. "I'm a old woman, older than most mothers, and I could see that it's people like your friend that allows us to have that stability to get married or drink warm milk at night. I think Hector understood that, now that I think about it. Maybe your friend Sonic didn't."_

            After a moment, the hedgehog gave a gasp, then a sad chuckle. Knuckles looked at her, confused.

_            "Miss?"_

_            "Good lord." Hector's mother laughed as tears streamed down her face. "I sound like my son's dead and buried."_

-----------------

            "Mom…….?"

            "Sonic…I mean, Hector……."

            "It's not fair……"

            "Get up." Simon's voice replaced Knuckles and Hector's mother's voice in Hector ears. "Get up or you both die."

            Parker's gun hit Hector as he was forced up. Sally was next to him, a gun pointed at her as well.

            "I really don't want to kill you," Simon paced around the room, looking at them. "You would make wonderful prisoners for the Dark King, and since I've been here I've taken a liking to this lovely rug you are standing on. So, if you just tell me where the chip is, I won't have to blow your heads off."

            "There's another thing you can blow, bud-"

            "SHUT UP!" Simon turned to Hector in shock. "You think I'm playing, you annoying wannabe! You are nothing but a pathetic little boy who almost succeeded in tricking me into thinking you were that annoying hedgehog. But this time, I hold all of the cards." Simon turned away. "There are only five people outside of Group B who know that I am here, and two of them you have killed." _That's right, little boy. It was you. _"And two more are about to die, unless they tell me _exactly_ where the damn chip is!!! Now tell me, _where is it_?!?!?"

            "I…don't know!" Hector shouted. "And even if I did, you wouldn't have the chance to get to it!"

            "And why is that?"

            "Because…the police are coming." _That's it. I know for a fact that you don't know it. Or at least you don't believe me. That was always Simon's weakness. He hated being in primitive territories because he took advantage of them so easily._ "They know you're here. Unbeknownst to you, Knuckles called them when you weren't looking."

            "Ha!" The leader of Group B retorted. "You fool. Like I said, your friend's dead. And your little country's policemen do not have enough brain cells to make a pair, let alone have the knowledge of even one operative's existence. Do you truly think they will help you?"

            As if his words were some sort of signal, several gunshots rang through the room, shattering the windows. The operatives in the room suddenly ducked, taking out sniper rifles and such. Sally's captor ran to protect Simon, who ran to the window, a sniper rifle in his hands.

"Damn you!" Simon picked off an officer in the lawn. "Get away from my tulips, you scum!!!"

It was at that moment of confusion that Hector's mind suddenly clicked.

"Yaaah!!!!!!"

With as much force as he could, Hector elbowed Parker hard in the stomach. With a yelp, Parker fell to the ground, his guns flying out of his hands

"Nnngh!!!" 

Hector dove to the floor and grabbed for the gun but was punched by Parker. _He recovered quick. Too quick_.

As a response, Hector's knee suddenly flew up into Parker's jaw. A loud snap could be felt on Hector's kneecap as Parker's jaw literally shattered under the pressure and force of the surprise attack.

"Urrrragh!!!!!!"

As Parker lay on the ground, his screams muffled in pain, Hector grabbed the gun and shot at Simon. The bullet whizzed by Simon's arm, but it was enough to have him drop the weapon.

"Now's our chance!!!" Hector grabbed Sally and threw the office door open. "Let's go!"

"Oh, no you don't!!!"

With a deftness that seemed impossible for a man of his age, Simon leaped onto Hector's back, dragging him to the ground.

"Nnngh!!"

"You pathetic fool." Simon yanked Hector's head back. "You think you can challenge me like a deadline! You have no sense of true fighting in you, not a single ounce!"

The two fell to the floor, but as they did, Hector's fingers came up and jammed into Simon's eyes. Blinded briefly, the ferret let go of Hector's head. 

Even so, Hector fell to the ground with a loud bang, and something red cluttered

from his jacket pocket out onto the floor. Voices with frightened tones could be heard from the office, and voices could be heard outside as well, more militant ones.

            _Wow._ For a moment, Hector breathed a sigh of relief. _The police are here. But I can't believe myself. This power…I took out the leader of Group B with my own hands. Yet, it had to be Sonic. It matters if he lives, because scum like this could take over the world!_

            "HECTOR!!!!!!!!"

            Simon shook his violently and saw a small red chip on the floor.

            "THE CHIP!!!!!!!" He roared. His hand shot out to grab it.

            _Think fast!!!!!!!!!!!_

            Faster than lighting, Hector's leg flew up. His foot smacked Simon square in the face. He then jumped up and threw himself at Simon toppling back onto the ground.

            "The chip!! Sal!!!!!!!!"

            "Got it!!!!" Sally grabbed it and put it in her pocket.

            Simon tried the throw Hector off of him, but Hector responded with another punch before jumping back up, grabbing the leader of Group B by the shoulders. With a yell, the hedgehog threw Simon to the wall.

            "Daaaaaugh!!!!!!!!!!!" 

The ferret hit the wall like a limp doll before sliding to the floor. Another sound then came from the doorway behind Hector. It was the sound of policemen clicking the barrels open on their guns.

-----------------

"Oh..my.God."

Mina, her wedding dress dragging on the ground, stared through the front door of the church as several more police cars drove past. The crowd of one hundred began to murmur in confusion.

"More cars, mother?" Mina started to pace again. "Maybe that's why Hector's late."

"I hope so, dear." Mina's mother patted her on the head. "I hope so."

"Well," Standing near was Geoffrey, who was looking at his watch. "Maybe Kintobar knows what's going on. He went out to question one of the cars."

After five more minutes of waiting, Kintobar burst into the room, completely out of breath.

"Kintobar?!"

"Hurry!!!!" The fat man grabbed Geoffrey and Mina by the hand and dragged them to a car. "You've got to talk some sense into him!!"

"Into who, Mr. Kintobar?!" Mina had some trouble getting into the car with her outfit. "Do you mean _Hector_?!"

"Yes!! YES!! The police have caught him in that house, bashing the brains out of that poor old man!!!"

------------------------

            "FREEZE!!!!" The officer pointed his gun at Hector. "You're under arrest!!!"

            "Wait!!!!" Hector heard Sally's voice. "The man on the ground is the one! He's trying to get the chip!!"

            "Ma'am?"

            "I know it for a fact, officer! I was kidnapped by him!!"

"Then sir, step off!!" Another officer shouted. "He's ours!"

"Right," Hector muttered. "Give me a second."

Hector gave Simon one final look, and nearly jumped back in surprise. Simon was looking up at Hector, his eyes full of shock.

            _Is it possible?_ Even though Hector wasn't a mind-reader, he knew exactly what he was thinking. _You must be Sonic. You couldn't just be some paperboy. But why are you hiding under there, you disgusting animal…_

            After a moment, Hector stepped away from the ferret and left him to the police. He turned to Sal, who was being talked to by a policeman.

            "And we'll need a copy of that chip, ma'am." The policeman cocked his head. "They think we're clueless, but we know a little more than we like to let on. You never know what you'll find under the skin, eh?"

            "I guess so."

            "Mmm hmm." The policeman uncomfortably shifted his eyes to Sally's pants, then back up to her. "Well, thank you."

            Without another word, the policeman quickly walked away. Hector looked at Sally, then chuckled.

            "I guess it was the pants, huh?"

            "Yes, I guess so…" Sally smiled. "I think we should get out of here."

            As they started to walk, however, Sally stopped again. She took Hector's hand and looked at him.

            "You're sure Sonic's not here…?"

            "Yeah…" Hector found it hard to bring the words out. "I tried to persuade him, but I think we've….what was the word Knuckles used?…Realized. He's dead, Sally."

            Sally's head went down at the words. With a nod, she started walking again. Hector quickly ran up to her and took her hand. _It's the least I can do. It isn't right. It isn't._

            "Right…."

            "What is _this_?!?!?!?!?!"

            The sound of Kintobar's voice started the two, but it was Mina and Geoffrey's added presence in front of them, which they didn't even notice until now, which made Hector freeze. _No. No. NO!!!_

            "What is this?!?!?!?!?!" Kintobar repeated his question, his eyes wide, as he pointed to Sally. "I hear you're fighting that poor old man, and now you've got _this_?!?!?!?!?!"

            "What?!?"

            "Hector!!!!!" Mina's voice grated into him. "What have you done?!?"

            _Oh, damn………..Ok, I won't panic!_ Hector sucked in some breath. _Just tell the truth. The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.._

            "I want to know just what is going on with this woman!!!!" Mina gasped. "She looks awfully familiar!!!!!!"

            "It's….." Hector paused. "It's all really simple. We've been targeted by terrorists that are from another country…the Acorn country…and I was simply trying to save the world." _Please. For once, believe me!!_ "I know it sounds ridiculous, but Sally can testify to it! I've been with her the whole time, and she was targeted as well."

            The three became completely silent at the admission. Sally looked at each of the faces uneasily, and the three faces turned to her as a result. Their expressions to her were not particularly nice. 

            "Is this true?"

            "……Yes." _What the hell. Hector, you fool, you've probably blown my cover, but I guess it doesn't matter._ "It's all true."

            Geoffrey's eyes furrowed at the admission of the princess. With a growl, he turned to Hector, his eyes flashing.

            "And I suppose you're going to tell me that this girl's from your comic, too, huh?!?!" he shouted. "You LIAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

            "That's true too!!!!!!!!!"

            "Wait!!"

            Sally's plea had no effect. With a resounding crunch, Geoffrey's fist smashed into Hector's face. The hedgehog was thrown to the foot of the stairs, holding his face. 

            "What?!?!?" Sally turned to the skunk. "You're not a good listener, are you? He's telling the truth!!!"

            "I know what I saw, and Hector, I don't know to trust him now!" Geoffrey fumed. 

            "Waaaaaaaaah!!!!!!!!" Mina whined in a high-pitched tone as she rubbed her eyes with her bouquet.. "You jezebel!!! You've turned my husband against me!!!!!!"

            "I did nothing of the sort." Sally felt her face turn red. "You have no idea what I just went though, nor do you know what Hector went through! I'm surprised you could even consider yourself at his level!!"

            Mina's reply was another, higher-pitched whine. Geoffrey turned to Sally.

            "I won't have you talking to Mina that way! Even if you _are_ right, Hector isn't worth this wonderful girl's time, you slut!!"

            "So this is what my worker's been doing?!?" Kintobar screeched. "Tralaventing off with you when he should be faithful to his fiancee!!!! I hope you have something to defend yourself, young lady!!!"

            "No, I don't!!" Sally was shocked. "Because there's nothing to defend!"

            "Then why are you blushing?!?!?" Mina screamed. "You louse!!!!!!"

            **"ALL RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!"**

            Everyone turned to Hector, who was up and holding his head at the temples, shuddering. He leaned against the wall, moaning.

            "Hector…?!" Sally was at his side instantly. "Are you all right??"

            "Darling?!? Get away from him!!!" Mina took up her dress, ready to pounce on the princess.

            "No." A sound came from Hector's lips. "She's fine. You're the one that needs to get away. All of you."

            "WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!"

            Before anyone could protest, Hector's head went up. His eyes had a light that no one had ever seen before, as if a lightbulb had been turned on in his retinas. His face had something else as well, and the look on it was a defiant one.

            "That's right, all of you. I've had enough!" His voice was firm as he walked over to Kintobar. "Enough of you, you who took away any happiness I ever had for my job. You took credit for what wasn't yours, and in essence made it your own. You hired me for my brains because you didn't have them to think for yourself! I don't know how you can live, knowing that you cheat your employees out of the recognition they deserve."

            "I…" Kintobar was speechless as his head went down.

            "And you," Hectors then turned to Mina. "You, who always put on a show for my mother, just for kicks. It may not have been apparent to me before, but you are far weaker than I am, and you could never find a husband on your own, could you? Both you and your mother, you more than her, are trapped in the illusion that a women's cry will make a man's heart weak, that whatever a woman wants, a woman will get from a man. Well, it may have worked before, but I scoff at every fake tear you shed!"

            "How dare yo-"

            "How dare _you_!!!" Hector swerved towards Geoffrey. "I save my harshest criticism for you! You're the one who allowed Mina to believe these illusions. You're the one who really loves her, yet you allowed me to go and marry her?! I know your real intention. You, too, thought I was weak. You bullied me, you coaxed me, and you insulted me in front of my mother. Do you think I enjoy being the patsy for your little escapade?! I don't! And now you'll pay for it." Hector walked back to Sally and took her hand. "All of you. Because you won't have a reason to laugh anymore. You won't have me around to use, and without me you can't touch my mother either. Starting today, the Hector Hedgehog you know, the one you always had a prejudice against, the person who created that comic you took your wealth from, will cease to exist. So will the comic. Because I'm a new person; I have no need to live in the past, and the comic is no longer a thing to be given to you."

            The way that the hedgehog had said it made all three back down and look at each other in shock. _They never expected it. I thought…it would be harder….but now…_

"H…Hector?" Sally looked at Hector, shocked at what just happened. "You seem…is there something else you want you say?"

"I have nothing else to say. I've said my piece." _Goodbye is a good word, but they don't deserve it._ "I'm finished. I am done. There is nothing left for me to say…"

"What do you mean?" 

Hector closed his eyes for a moment, as if to ponder what he had just said. Holding Sally's hand, a shudder suddenly went through his body. For a moment, he looked like he would collapse, but instead, he simply shook his head and looked at the princess.

"Come on, Sal." The hedgehog nodded. "Let's get out of here."

----------------

As they walked, Sally just kept staring at him, her mouth open. They went past policemen, and Group B operatives, including Simon, who gave him a dirty look as they passed. At the gate, however, he stopped. Hector's mother stood there, her head down. In her hand was Hector's favorite hat, which she gave to him as he stopped.

"Goodbye…" was all she said.

The hedgehog gave a slow nod, understanding how she felt. He walked up to her again and kissed her on the cheek.

"Don't worry," he smiled. "I promise I'll see you again."

Leaving Hector's mother to her thoughts, the two finally made it to the Spider, which was in invisible mode. The car door opened, and they hopped into the back. The car then sped away from the mansion and towards the docks. Sally's head went on his shoulder as the buildings whizzed by.

"Huh…" Knuckles, who was driving, turned to the hedgehog in the back. His eyes grew wide with surprise and shock. "Sonic……is that you?"

Sonic looked up at the echidna, then at Reese, who was bandaged and now under the spell of some old-fashioned painkillers. Deep down, he had wanted to thank Hector for what he did, but he had the feeling Hector knew what he was thinking, even then.

"You bet."

**THE END**


End file.
